Well well. Reviews to the last chapter certainly were interesting.
Specifically, Miranda being a fairly even match for Thel. Even though Miranda is a "genetically perfect" Human, a lot of reviewers found it odd that Miranda was not only holding her own against Thel, but also kinda kicking his ass in some spots. One reviewer even suggested that Miranda was something of a "Creator's Pet" in the last chapter. Truth is I'm not a huge fan of Miranda, but I know that I have readers who are, so I was simply trying to do their girl some justice by making her out to be a badass easily on par with the God Damn Arbiter. In hindsight, I might have overshot that goal a bit. But, I still think I can justify it.
Because of her superior genes, Miranda is stronger, faster and more intelligent than the average Human. Way I figure it, Miranda is about on par with a SPARTAN-III in terms of strength and agility; she's not as powerful as a SPARTAN-II, but she's still capable of giving even a Sangheili like Thel a run for his money in a one-one-one fight, even without using her biotics.
And keep in mind that while Thel is undoubtedly one of the most badass Sangheili around, he's still just a Sangheili. Unlike his counterpart the Master Chief, the Arbiter never underwent any biological augmentation. He is, physically at least, no more powerful than the average Sangheili. So I'd say that Thel and Miranda are actually fairly equal in terms of strength. I guess Miranda just got lucky in that last fight. Don't worry. Thel will more than redeem himself later on in the story when the time comes.
Now then, on to the Master Chief finally arriving home on Planet Rea-AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! No. That's not happening in this chapter. What, you think Chief's the only one in the galaxy with stuff to do?
In this chapter, I'll be introducing a couple of OC's that I've been working on. Yes, I can see some of you rolling your eyes at that, but just roll with me on this one; I'm only introducing them now because they have roles to play later in the story. Hopefully I'll write them in such a way that you won't hate them :)
...
0600 Hours, March 8th, 2683
SSV Mare Erythraeum
Undisclosed Location in the Attican Beta Cluster
...
The scent of caffeine filled her nostrils as her eyes snapped open. Once she was fully awake, she pressed a button on the interior of the sleep pod, the hatch hissing open. She could still smell feint traces of the gaseous stimulant that woke her every morning as she climbed out of the pod and walked over to a yoga mat near the back of her office. She stretched in a series of sun salutes, archer poses and splits. When she was done with her usual twenty-minute hatha yoga routine, she dropped to her belly and began her push-ups.
From the light tone of her skin, one would guess that she had a North American or European lineage. She had long blonde hair that grew down to her shoulder blades. Longer than regulation allowed, yes, but she keeps it all in a bun on-duty and usually wears a helmet on missions, so it wasn't not as though it compromised her ability to fight. She looked to be fairly young, late-twenties at most. She had a rather small, thin frame, being only five foot nine in height. However, her muscles on her arms and legs were toned by years of intense workout regimes and combat experience.
Her office was about twenty feet by twenty feet, just big enough to squeeze in everything she needed. In the back of the room was a gym mat on which she did her usual morning exercise routine. Against one wall was a sleeping pod. She prefered sleeping pods over real beds, having grown accustomed to them over her career. Along that same wall was a closet that had multiple ONI uniforms and in the corner was the door to the adjacent bathroom.
Her desk and the three chairs facing it sat on the side of the room opposite the sleeping pod and closet. On it was her personal computer, a stack of datapads, and a bust of a man with thinning hair, a large forehead, thick eyebrows, a square jaw and a ruthless gaze. Engraved in the little plaque at the base of the bust was the name Colonel James Ackerson.
Once she was finished with her morning workout, she walked into the bathroom and took a ten-minute shower. She then emerged from the shower wrapped in a towel and walked over to the closet to grab her uniform.
"Good morning, Major Ackerson." said a voice. The image of a holographic old man in a butler uniform appeared from the hologram projector on her desk. "We are currently six hours away from Feros."
"Thank you, Samuel." Danielle Ackerson replied to her smart AI assistant, who then winked out from her desk. Six hours was a little long for her, but at least she would have time to go over some paperwork.
...
The Alliance Cruiser Mare Erythraeum docked with Zhu's Hope's docking bay. Ackerson stood in the ship's loading bay with a platoon of forty-eight men and women. The hatch hissed open and Ackerson led her soldiers out. They marched up the staircase that eventually led them to the colony itself; a partially disassembled freighter in the middle of the courtyard. This was all that was left of the colony after the Geth attack.
Ackerson keyed FIELDCOM and started rattling off orders. "Fireteam Alpha-One, guard the stairs behind us. Alpha-Two, head up the tower and secure it. Bravo-One, secure the elevator, Bravo-Two, secure the garage that the elevator leads up to. Charlie-Squad, head down into the tunnels and make sure it's squeaky clean. I don't want so much as a stray pyjak poking around down there. Everyone else, head down to the stairwell leading beneath the colony. Captain Falana, you're in charge of overseeing sample retrievals. Acknowledge."
She saw a swarm of green winks across her helmet's HUD. "Good. Now move it." she coldly finished. Like a well-oiled machine, her platoon split into different groups to carry out their tasks. As they did so, a man with a wrinkled face approached the major. He was wearing a shirt without sleeves and baggy jeans; fairly standard wear for an Attican Traverse colonist. The most noticeable feature was a bandage on his right shoulder.
"Fai Dan?" Danielle asked, the man's appearance fitting the colonial leader's description from the Master Chief's report.
"The one and only." Dan replied half-jokingly. "I take it you're with the Alliance?"
"Indeed. Major Danielle Ackerson, Office of Naval Intelligence." Ackerson introduced herself.
Dan's eyes widened a bit at that. "ONI?" he asked. "No offense but, what are you guys doing here? I was told that the Alliance was sending relief."
"They did." Ackerson plainly answered. "My ship is unloading relief supplies as we speak. Food, water, medical supplies, everything a Human colony needs to recover from a recent invasion." She then activated her omni-tool and turned on a screen showing the full mission report. "However, I understand that you're not just worried about immediate relief. Zhu's Hope also has more long-term concerns, correct?"
"Er, yes." Fai Dan replied, apparently off-put by how much Ackerson knew. Not an uncommon reaction in her line of work. "ExoGeni cut the colony's funding. I suppose with the Thorian dead and gone, they no longer see a reason to back us. They'll leave us alone now, but without their funding and all the damage the Geth caused, I don't think this colony can be saved. We're just not self-suficient. We may have to shut Zhu's Hope down and return to Earth."
"Not necessarily." Ackerson said as she pressed a few more buttons on her omni-tool. "ONI is prepared to compensate Zhu's Hope for damages. Will five million credits suffice?"
Fai Dan's eyes looked ready to pop right out of his skull. "Five million?!" he asked. "That...that would be more then enough to sustain us! We could even grow and expand with that kind of money!"
"I thought so." Ackerson. "However, there are a couple of things that I'm going to need you to agree to before I can hand it over. First of all, ONI didn't give you this money."
"...Beg pardon?" Dan asked.
"That's what you're going to say whenever someone asks." Ackerson said. "Instead you'll tell them that it was a generous donation from the billionaire philanthropist Thomas Thurgood, something that he will announce tommorrow morning on ANN at around nine-thirty. You'll get your money shortly afterwards. ONI had nothing to do with your recovery. Secondly, my soldiers and I are simply here to interrogate the prisoner, nothing more."
"But wait." Dan said. "If you're only here for the prisoner, why did you just send twenty soldiers below the colony? Where the Thorian was?"
"...I didn't." Ackerson stated as though it were a fact. "They're out on the skyway, aiding the Yanme'e in their hunt for Geth stragglers."
"...I see." Fai Dan replied, now fully understanding what ONI was really doing on Feros. "I won't stop you, but word of warning; that thing enslaved the entire colony. Forced us to do its bidding and tortured us if we ever stepped out of line. Your superiors are playing with a gun. I pray for their sake that they'll keep the safety on."
"I'll be sure to pass your message along." Ackerson coldly replied. "Any further questions?"
"No Major." Fai Dan said with a shake of his head.
"Good. Where's the prisoner?" Ackerson asked.
"She's locked up in a shed, on the other side of the courtyward, around the freighter." Fai Dan said as he pointed the way. Major Ackerson nodded her thanks and followed Fai Dan's directions. She saw a shabby-looking pre-fab shed sitting near the edge of the courtyard by the crane. Two Yanme'e stood guard outside the door. The insectoids ceased their chittering and straightened up when Ackerson walked up to the door and keyed the lock. With an annoyingly loud noise, the door opened and the Major stepped in.
The pre-fab shed was small, about twelve by six feet. On the opposite side of the room from her was a desk, and sitting at that desk was an Asari. Her skin was a purple hue with tattoos around her eyes, on her cheekbones and on her forehead. She was no longer dressed in the kevlar suit that was atypical of Asari commandos, but wore instead more regular clothes, similar to the clothes that the colonists wore. It would seem that the colonists had gone ahead and stripped the Asari of her weapons and armor. Ackerson still kept a hand on her pistol though. The Asari still had her biotics which could easily tear Ackerson apart should the interrogation go south.
Ackerson took a seat at the desk on the opposite side from the Asari. She activated her omni-tool and pressed a few buttons on it, beginning the recording session.
"I am Major Danielle Ackerson, Office of Naval Intelligence." she began. "Your name." she ordered more than asked.
"Shiala Yeomi." the Asari replied.
"Occupation." Ackerson said.
"Asari Commando and former follower of Matriarch Benezia."
"...And former follower of ex-Spectre Saren Arterius, by proxy."
"Yes." Shiala replied with a nod.
"Let's start from the beginning." Ackerson officially began. "You followed Matriach Benezia into Saren's army. This is because you were a follower of Benezia, correct?"
"Yes." Shiala said with a nod. "I was one of Matriarch Benezia's disciples. For nearly two centuries, I followed her, learning at her feet. When Benezia revealed her plan to join Saren, she gave her disciples a choice. Only those who were willing had to follow her. Many felt her plan was too dangerous. But I believed in her. I thought she could turn Saren away from his insanity. Instead, we joined him in it."
Ackerson immediately noted that Shiala was a talker, one who talked wholly and without hesitation. Either she was truly prepared to atone for past sins and cooperate with the major, or she was fully confidant in her lies and expected to get away scott-free. Further compounding the conundrum was her 'indoctrination' story. One the one hand, it was complete nonsense. But on the other hand, Shiala was either telling the truth about it or she was very good at lying about it. And really, why would such a good liar waste her talents on trying to push such a poor lie?
"Tell me about Matriarch Benezia." Ackerson said.
"Benezia was greatly respected among our people." Shiala replied. "A powerful biotic, even for an Asari. She was widely known as a teacher of philosophy and religion. She always sought the paths of peace and harmony. She joined with Saren because she hoped to turn him away from his path of destruction."
"But things didn't go according to plan, did they?" Ackerson asked.
"No." Shiala answered. "As I told the Master Chief, Matriarch Benezia underestimated Saren. I pray that he does not make the same mistake."
Ackerson was still skeptical about all this 'indoctrination' bullshit, but Shiala was telling it all so plainly as though it were the truth. Something wasn't adding up. "Describe the work you did for Saren." the major instructed, choosing to stifle her frustrations for the moment and continue her questions.
"I was a fairly typical Asari Commando." Shiala replied. "I mostly lead boarding parties while raiding ships in the Terminus Systems. After a few months of that, Saren noticed my biotic talents and chose me for a special assignment on Feros. I was to be his mediator with the Thorian. Little did I know that I was also to be an offering."
Ackerson was noticing a pattern. From the way Shiala spoke, it almost sounded like she was narrating a story more than divulging intelligence. It all felt rehearsed. That didn't necessarily mean she was lying, though. She had been locked up in this shed for three days, plenty of time to get her story straight. Plus, Asari had a natural affinity for speech and story-telling. Her choice of words and phrases were likely a cultural inclimation more than a deception.
"And what was that like? Being the Thorian's thrall?" Ackerson probed further.
"When the creature enveloped me, I became part of it." Shiala explained. "But I still don't truly understand it. So alien. So ancient. Its exact age is impossible to know. It measured time differently. Ten thousand years of hibernation broken by a few frantic centuries of activity. Its mind was awesome. Maginificent. It transcended all classification."
Shiala's eyes suddenly darted away from Danielle and toward the desk. She took a deep breath, followed by a sigh. "And now it is gone." she added in a gloomy tone.
Ackerson raised an eyebrow at that. "You almost sound sad." she pointed out.
Shiala's eyes met Ackerson's again. "The Thorian was a unique life-form. A sentient being that lived for 50,000 years, maybe more. There is nothing even remotely like it in the known galaxy. I am grateful that the Master Chief saved me from a life of thralldom. Yet I cannot help but feel some sorrow for the loss of such a rare and remarkable creature."
Shiala's lamentation of the Thorian's death raised a red flag in Danielle's mind at first. It may have been possible that, even after death, the Thorian's spores may still have had some control over the Asari's mind. However, it turned out to be the typical Asari reasoning; it was rare, remarkable, and it was a shame that it was gone. As a species, the Asari were much too trusting of other life-forms. Ackerson honestly wondered how their society lasted this long with such naivety.
"What can you tell me about Saren?" Ackerson asked, moving on with the interrogation.
"As I said to the Master Chief, there is little I can tell the Alliance that they do not already know." Shiala replied. "Saren is powerful, charismatic and dangerous. Once I followed him, blind to his nature. But now I see that he is a threat to our very existence."
"And the Conduit?" Ackerson asked.
"I do not know what it is or where you can find it." Shiala said with a shrug. "Your hopes lie with the Master Chief. He has the Cipher. In time, his visions will become clear. They will lead him to the Conduit. I only pray he finds it before Saren does."
The Cipher. Ackerson wanted to follow up on that, but she couldn't do it with the omni-tool recording. She would wait until after the interrogation officially ended. In the meantime, there was one last subject Ackerson needed to cover.
"In the Master Chief's report, you mentioned Saren has a flagship with a wholly unique design. The Sovereign. I need a postive ID." Ackerson said. She then pressed a few more buttons on her omni-tool and a floating screen appeared. The screen showed an image of a massive ship with tentacle-like protrusions and blood-red lightning dancing around them.
"This is the ship that dropped off several thousand Geth troopers on Eden Prime on February 24th, 2683. Is this ship the Sovereign?" she asked.
"Yes. Absolutely. I recognize its design anywhere." Shiala said with a nod.
"Tell me everything you know about it." Ackerson bluntly ordered.
"The Sovereign is alien." Shiala stated. "I do not know how it was built, or where it comes from. Its design does not match that of any known spacefaring species. It dwarfs almost any vessel in Citadel space. Its weapons are devastating. Its defenses are virtually impenetrable. With it, Saren believes he is unstoppable."
"And you said that Saren uses it to brainwash his followers, correct?" Danielle questioned.
"The indoctrination, yes." Shiala replied with another nod. "There is an energy about the Sovereign. You feel drawn to the ship. It makes Saren's arguments more persuasive, more compelling. Spend enough time in the Sovereign's presence, and you will lose yourself." she the shrugged. "There is no other way to explain it."
"...Thank you for your time, Ms. Yeomi. This interview is now over." Ackerson said, with that, she ended the recording. "Actually, no it's not." she quickly added once her omni-tool was off. "The Cipher. You gave it to Saren and the Master Chief, correct?"
"Uh, yes." Shiala replied, suddenly a little nervous. She knew that this part of the interrogation wouldn't be on the record, and was more cautious with her words now.
"What is it?" Ackerson asked.
"It's...difficult to explain." Shiala said.
"Try me." Ackerson stated.
"Well...the Cipher is the very essence of being a Prothean." the Asari began. "An ancestral memory spanning thousands of Prothean generations. Their culture, their language, their history, the Cipher is all this and more."
"So the Cipher is basically a...psychic amalgamation of Prothean knowledge?" Ackerson asked.
"That...does not do it justice." Shiala replied. "But if you truly want to put it into words, I suppose that is appropriate. But it is so much more than that."
"Do you still have it?" Ackerson asked.
"...No." Shiala said. "I gave part of it to Saren, and I gave the rest of it to the Master Chief. They are now the only two people in all the galaxy who possess the Cipher."
"...I see." Ackerson evenly said. Shiala was telling the truth. Not once did Danielle pick up on any tells that may have indicated that the Asari was lying. She didn't have the Cipher, nor did she have any new intelligence of worth.
Danielle was cursing on the inside. She was hoping Shiala would pass the Cipher onto the Major, like she did with Saren and the Chief. So much for that. Between that and the lack of any new intelligence, it seemed like this interrogation was an utter waste of time. "I should go." Ackerson said as she rose from her seat.
"Major, wait." Shiala said. "If you would allow it, I would like to stay here with the colonists."
Ackerson raised an eyebrow at the Asari Commando. "Why?" she asked.
"I have played a great role in the suffering they have endured during the Siege of Zhu's Hope. I wish to atone." she explained.
Ackerson took a moment to analyze Shiala one last time. At the end of the day, all she was was a particularly talented commando that Saren gave to the Thorian to get the Cipher. She had been, for all intents and purpses, little more than a grunt within Saren's ranks. She never had any insight into any of Saren's grander plans or schemes. She didn't have any new intelligence for ONI nor did she have the Cipher anymore. She wasn't useful in any way to anyone anymore.
"...Alright." Ackerson replied. "I'll submit a recommendation to ONI to have you sentenced to eighteen months on this planet. In that time, you will not be allowed off-world. As far as ONI is concerned Ms. Yeomi, you're Fai Dan's problem now."
Shiala stood and bowed her head to the major in thanks. Ackerson then walked out of the shed, locking it behind her. "Keep her in there until I leave the colony." she ordered the two Yanme'e guards outside the shed.
"How's the sample retrieval going, Kya?" Ackerson asked as she keyed Captain Kya Falana over a private com.
"Just started, boss." a female voice with an African accent answered. "Turns out the Thorian fell a long way down. Took us a while just to propel down the hole and now it's gonna take us a while to collect all the samples ONI wants."
"Do it as soon as you can. Sooner we get off this rock, the better." Ackerson replied before turning off the com. She then turned her head and saw a young woman with short black hair talking to a Salarian around the corner of the freighter. She wore an ExoGeni uniform. Ackerson walked over to the young woman and tapped her shoulder. "Elizabeth Baynham?" she asked, recognizing her description from the report.
"Er, yes?" Lizbeth answered in an unsure tone.
"Major Danielle Ackerson, Office of Naval Intelligence. I need to speak with you in private." she formally stated.
"Sure." Lizbeth replied as she followed Ackerson as the major walked over to the crane, away from any prying eyes or listening ears. "Okay, I know why you're here, but I had nothing to do with what ExoGeni tried to do to these people!" Lizbeth suddenly began in a 'whispering yell' of sorts. "In fact, I was trying to stop them! I was trying to call colonial affairs-"
"You're not in trouble." Ackerson whispered, cutting off Lizbeth's rambling. "I just need to ask you a few questions."
"Um...Okay. What for?" Lizbeth asked, still nervous and apparently not convinced that she wouldn't be in trouble.
"I need to know all the details about what ExoGeni did to these people." Ackerson said.
Lizbeth's nervousness suddenly turned to excitement. "You mean you're investigating them?"
"You could say that." Ackerson replied.
"Alright then. I'll tell you everything you need to know." Lizbeth said. "Good to see ONI is willing to bring ExoGeni to justice. Those bastards need to pay for what they did."
"I couldn't agree more." Ackerson said with a smirk. "I assure you, Ms. Baynham. Your testimony will ensure that ExoGeni will never bother this colony again."
Sometimes, the best lies are the ones that are closest to the truth.
Other times, the best lies are the ones that, technically, aren't lies at all.
...
"Admiral McCallister." Ackerson greeted as she saluted.
"At ease, marine." The holographic image of the admiral replied. Ackerson was currently in the Mare Erythraeum's com room. In front of her on the floor was a hologram projector that displayed the 3D image of Admiral Angus McCallister, Alliance admiral and the current Commander-in-Chief of ONI. He was a giant of a man; six and a half feet tall with a shaven bald head and a thick raven-black beard. He had a single scar across his right eye; a souvenir from the First Contact War. His appearance combined with his thick Scottish accent gave some the impression of a brainless thug, which helped disguise the cunning and ruthless mind necessary to run ONI. He was a good friend of Danielle's father, plus ONI was well aware of her family legacy and so expected great things from her, which allowed her to report to the admiral directly.
"Report." McCallister ordered.
"Good news and bad news sir." Ackerson began. "Good news is, sample retrieval went off without a hitch. After meeting our quota, we incinerated the Thorian's corpse so as to dispose of further evidence. The official reports will show that the colonists did that before we arrived so that ONI can maintain plausible deniability. We have done this with the colonists' full cooperation and they're willing to keep quiet about it in exchange for recovery and relief funding from ONI. Thomas Thurgood will provide the colony with the five million credits in exchange for increased ONI funding for his biotic experiments. Finally, ExoGeni has backed off from the Thorian after I personally threatened to take all the evidence against them, including Ms. Baynham's testimonial, to the media."
"And the bad news?" McCallister asked.
"Shiala Yeomi failed to provide any new intelligence of note." Ackerson reported. "So on the Geth front, we're back at square one."
"Saren is charismatic and dangerous, he has an army and a ridiculously powerful warship at his command, and if he finds the Conduit before we do, it's gonna bite us in the arse. Hard." McCallister summarized.
"And the Master Chief is still the best hope we have." Ackerson said with a sigh.
"Did you at least get this 'Cipher?'" The admiral asked.
"No sir. Shiala says that she gave two pieces of the Cipher to Saren and the Chief. They are currently the only two people we know of to have it." Ackerson answered.
"Bloody piss water." McCallister muttered. Ackerson knew the feeling. The SPARTAN-II was off on a mission of critical importance to the Alliance's long-term political interests and there was no way for ONI to influence it. Even worse, the Chief's last mission on Eletania ended in disaster. Not only did the Chief fail to capture Saren, he also failed to prevent the destruction of Forerunner ruins, the first ones discovered outside the Forerunner cluster no less.
"Well, I'll take what I can get for now." McCallister said with a sigh of resignation. "For what it's worth, you're doin' good, Major. Your Great Great Grandfather would be happy to see his legacy's in good hands. Keep it up, you might even start up your own projects in Section Three one day."
"That's my goal, sir." Ackerson replied with a friendly smirk.
"Report back to Terra Nova for resupply and further orders. McCallister out." the admiral finished as his image faded from existence.
...
1417 Hours, March 8th, 2683
Tyrann Keep, Tyrann State, Sangheilios
Urs System, Forerunner Cluster
...
The fire crackled and spat embers from the fireplace. The walls of the massive room were lined with books and scrolls. Beasts from across the galaxy stood at various points throughout the room, their faces forever frozen in fury. And sitting on the table next to a very comfortable chair was a PC broadcasting the news.
Kaidon Vato Tyrannai spent much of his leisure time in the library of Tyrann Keep. With the peace and quiet, the warmth of the fire, and endless shelves of wisdom surrounding him, it was an ideal sanctuary from the stresses that came with his position; the constant criticism of political pundits, the weighty decisions that must be made for the good of the state, the occasional assassin that an upstart elder sends his way, all those things seemed to magically disappear once Vato sealed the door to this library and began reading. Every time he left this room to resume his duties, he did so with a little bit of sorrow.
He was currently reading the clan saga from a scroll. The same story was printed across the saga wall in the council chamber, but he preferred reading it here for the aforementioned peace and quiet. As he read his clan's history, he listened to his PC deliver the news on both Sangheili affairs and greater galactic affairs.
"In anticipation of a lengthy war with the vile Geth, the Grand Kaidon has approved a temporary lift of Unggoy breeding restrictions." the Sangheili newscaster reported. "Given the species' fast growth rate, projections show that our Unggoy troop number should see an increase in the millions over the next few cycles. However, Deacon DipDup has stated that, despite increased Unggoy numbers, the Empire should take care not to be tempted by the ways of old. The barbaric Covenant is dead, he says, and that Unggoy are no longer to be casually tossed at an enemy as cannon fodder."
Ah yes, the Geth. Ever since their raid on Eden Prime, the Geth seems to be all anyone ever talks about. After receiving news of the colony's severe attack, Sangheili colonies across the Attican Traverse began reinforcing themselves, preparing for war.
Unfortunately, it seems the Geth are more keen on attacking Humans than Sangheili. Since Eden Prime, the Geth have launched another full-on invasion of a Human colony, Feros. Meanwhile, there were Geth on Therum, but all they did was hit some excavation site that was being watched over by a Spec Ops. Company. The main colony itself wasn't even hit. Thus far, the Sangheili have been feeling rather neglected.
Nevertheless, the Sangheili were continuing their preparations for war with the Geth. There was an air of excitement, especially among the youth, the Sangheili who were not even thirty years old yet. Such youths were but infants during the First Contact War and were not even twinkles in their forefathers' eyes during the Human-Covenant War and Great Schism. For many of them, this was their chance at glory, to add their own names to their clans' sagas.
Thus far, the Empire's strategy was simply to fortify colonial defenses across the board. To dig their hooves into the mud and dare the Geth to come in after them. Some supreme commanders have contended that this strategy is not aggressive enough. They knew where the Geth were coming from; the Perseus Veil. They argued that the Sangheili needed to invade. More cautious supreme commanders have argued that the Empire has no way of knowing just how many Geth are beyond the veil and what kind of defenses they have. They say that to invade the Geth's home would be a fool's invasion.
Tyrannai, personally, was in the latter category. But not simply because they would be needlessly risking good warriors, though that was a good reason as well. He had his own reasons for wishing to abstain from that invasion, at least for the time being.
It was then that the kaidon heard a knocking at the door. He sighed. It would seem that it was time to leave his sanctuary. "Enter." he commanded. The door opened and one of the Keep guards entered. He bowed down onto one knee as the kaidon rose from his seat and walked over.
"Holy Kaidon, a reporter is here to see you." the guard said.
"A reporter?" Tyrannai asked.
"A Human. She says she works for the Alliance News Network." the guard explained.
Tyrannai folded his hand behind his back. "She is expected. Bring her to me." he commanded.
"Your will be done." the guard replied before getting up and walking out. A moment later, a female Human entered the library, escorted by the guard. She wore a rather plain-looking shirt and pants, seemingly caring little for the dresses and robes the females of her kind usually wore. She had tanned skin, a full face, and long black hair. She carried a wool jacket under her arm; she had likely been standing out in the cold before the guards allowed her into the keep. Finally, there was a large camera floating behind her.
"Kaidon Tyrannai, I presume?" she asked.
"Indeed. And you are Diana Allers, correct?" Tyrannai asked.
"You got it." she replied. "Alright. Let's go take a look at your Vorcha."
...
Tyrann was located among Sangheilios's northern most reaches. The spring would arrive in a few weeks, but the winter still had yet to fully release its grip on the state. As Tyrannai, Allers, and an entourage were transported to the Vorcha training grounds a mile away from the Keep, the ground was still covered in a thick blanket of snow.
The Human shivered as the hovering vehicle sped across the snows. Between the cold and now the wind, even her thick wool jacket seemed insufficient to keep a Tyrann winter at bay. Eventually, the hovercraft came to a stop near a collection of small buildings; bunkers and barracks, mostly. Vorcha armed with type-51 directed energy rifles and wearing turquoise body armor marched and jogged up and down the area, while other Vorcha were doing push-ups, pull-ups and other such exercises under the direction of their Sangheili instructors.
As the kaidon and his entourage dismounted, Allers brought up her omni-tool and pressed a few buttons. The floating camera that seemed to follow her wherever she went lit up, casting its eye on Tyrannai. Tyrannai motioned for Allers to follow him as she began the interview.
"First off Kaidon Tyrannai, let me say thank you for agreeing to this interview." Allers began.
"You are most welcome." the kaidon replied. "I welcome any who inquire about my work."
"Let's start from the beginning. What gave you the idea to take in and train Vorcha, of all species?" she began.
"Are you familiar with the tale of Mind and Hand?" the kaidon asked.
"Of course. They're a siari-based charity famous for taking in Vorcha orphans from Heshtok and raising them to lead peaceful lives." Allers said. "The orphans became celebrities once it was learned that they really were peaceful and that violence isn't innate in their species."
"Correct." the kaidon replied. "I consider Mind and Hand's work to be a proof-of-concept. I am simply putting their ideas into practice." He gestured towards a line of Vorcha all doing push-ups as a Sangheili drill instructor stalked the line up and down for traces of weakness. "Each and every Vorcha here is an orphan, rescued from Heshtok and raised within the borders of my state. We've been doing this for seven years now, which means that I already have a senior class of Vorcha warriors well-versed in the Sangheili way of life."
"Yes, 'warriors', about that." Allers said. "You've been receiving a lot of criticism from charitable organizations." At that, the kaidon stopped walking and turned to face the reporter. "They say that not only what you're doing borders on slavery, but while Mind and Hand at least teaches Vorcha to live peacefully, you're teaching them something most Vorcha are already pretty good at; combat. Your response?"
Tyrannai huffed at that. "If I am a slave-master, so too are the siari priestesses who took in and raised those first Vorcha to become respectable citizens." he claimed. "There is a very distinct difference between savages and warriors, Ms. Allers. Most Vorcha living in the Terminus Systems are indeed savages; aggressive, violent, completely incapable of civilized thought or reason. The Vorcha you see before you, on the other hand, are warriors. Skilled, disciplined, and well-educated. They do not mindlessly kill anything they see. Though they are trained for combat, we have taught them to conduct it with honor."
"I'm sure that will come as a relief to many concerned parties." Allers replied. "Moving on. As you've said, you've been doing this for seven years. Despite this, only three other nearby states have taken Vorcha into their ranks, and only after seeking your counsel on the issue. Why do you think that is?"
"Cultural stereotypes, I'm afraid." Tyrannai answered. "The Vorcha are commonly thought of throughout the galaxy as vermin; a vile, disgusting race no better than Batarians, Krogan and Jiralhanae. Many political figures throughout the galaxy hold that view and, unfortunately, many of my fellow kaidons count themselves among such figures. However, as the Vorcha warriors demonstrate their martial prowess by aiding my own warriors in several counter-pirate operations out in the traverse, I believe that that ugly view is being slowly but surely eroded. I am confidant that, in time, the other kaidons, the grand council, and even the Grand Kaidon himself will all come around to my way of thinking."
"Okay. Now as you've said earlier, Mind and Hand's work with Vorcha orphans is what gave you the idea for this project." Allers said. "But what made you want to do this? What's your motive here?"
The kaidon seemed to pause at that. He then turned towards a hill off in the distance, where a line of Vorcha were jogging in full combat armor, singing an old Sangheili marching hymn.
"I remember the Covenant of old, Ms. Allers." the kaidon began in a thoughtful, wistful tone of voice. "I was barely an adult when it was broken, only a minor in command of nothing but half a dozen Unggoy, but I remember it. I remember what it stood for. Unity."
He turned his head back towards the Human. "The Covenant was based around an idea, Ms. Allers. It was based around the idea that we all walk the same path, side by side. That it is the ultimate destiny of every sapient being in the universe to unite under one banner, one cause, one purpose. The Great War started because the San 'Shyuum betrayed that idea, first by trying to wipe out your kind, then by trying to wipe out mine. The Great Schism shattered the Covenant, sent its member species into disarray and then isolation from one another. The Unggoy and the Mgalekgolo have remained loyal to my people, and for that I thank them, but they are all we have left of the old Covenant."
He then turned completely towards her and stood erect, his hands clasped behind his back and his chest puffed out as his golden armor glinted in the sun. "We live in a shattered galaxy." he went on. "For every race such as yours or mine, a race that stands strong, there is a race such as the Vorcha that can not stand. A race that is disorganized, lost, and in desperate need of a guiding hand. All around me, I have seen that no one, not the Council races, not the Humans, not even my fellow kaidons are willing to provide that guiding hand. To this I say, no longer! No longer will we stand idly by while other species are lost in the darkness! No longer will we hoard our prosperity for ourselves and ourselves alone! It is time the Sangheili stood up and realized the true meaning of the Writ of Union, our most ancient creed; According to our station! All without exception!"
Allers was, to say the least, stunned by the kadion's sudden speech. Good. That was the effect he was going for.
"Wow." Allers said after a few seconds of silence. "Strong words."
"Strong words that need to be said." Kaidon Tyrannai replied. "For too long, my species has been silent."
It was then that the kaidon's omni-tool suddenly began beeping. He tapped it, silencing the beeping. "My apologies, but it seems that my duties are pulling me back to the keep. My guards will take you to Instructor 'Orom. He will take you on a proper tour of the training grounds."
"But of course, kaidon." Allers politely replied. "Thanks for the interview."
With that, the kaidon turned and left the reporter to her work. She'll most likely interview Instructor 'Orom next, along with a few other instructors and finally the Vorcha themselves. Good. Gods only knew that his work could use some good press, particularly after all the slander some of the other kaidons have afflicted him with.
...
As soon as he arrived back at Tyrann Keep, Tyrannai marched towards the keep's comm room with purpose. After all, no one, not even a kaidon, dares to deny the Arbiter an audience.
"The Arbiter is waiting for you on the line, my kaidon." The communications officer said with a bow as Tyrannai entered the comm room.
"Patch him through." Tyrannai ordered.
"At once." the officer said before pressing a few buttons at the terminal. With that, the image of the Arbiter appeared from the holographic projector on the floor.
"I beg your forgiveness, oh Holy One." the kaidon greeted with a humble bow. "For I was out in the fields, showing a Human reporter my Vorcha training grounds."
"Yes, I'm sure you're quite proud of those." the Arbiter replied. It was a well known fact that the Arbiter did not necessarily approve of Tyrannai's work with the Vorcha. Though he dared not say it in front of Allers's camera, Tyrannai suspected that that was the true reason his policies have met so much resistance from the other kaidons.
The Arbiter had no official jurisdiction over anyone, yet everyone seemed all too eager to grovel at his boots.
"To what do I owe this call?" Tyrannai asked.
"It is a call for aid." the Arbiter replied. "A Spectre has recently asked for my assistance in an official Council mission."
"What sort of mission?" Tyrannai asked.
"He seeks Halo." the Arbiter plainly replied. "We have recently learned that one of the rings is somewhere out in the Attican Traverse."
Tyrannai's eyes widened at that. "By the Gods...but we could not find the lost rings for well over a hundred years! No one could! How did this Spectre find it?"
"I can tell you all the details later, during the official briefing." the Arbiter said. "At the moment, all you need to know is that I require a ship of substantial strength for this task. Unfortunately, with the other kaidons busy with other matters, you are the only one I can call on who has such a ship."
"If it's Halo you seek, I'm afraid you will need more than just one ship." Tyrannai pointed out. "You will need an entire fleet."
"The Spectre has stressed to me that stealth is of the utmost importance." the Arbiter countered. "As this mission would take us deep into the traverse, he does not wish to bring more than one ship. He believes that any more than that will provoke war with the Terminus Systems."
"He says that as though it were a bad thing." Tyrannai said with a chuckle. "Let me guess; the Spectre you speak of. He is a Salarian?"
"Yes." the Arbiter replied.
"Somehow I am not surprised." the kaidon replied. "What kind of ship do you need?"
"...Your flagship." the Arbiter said. "The Glorious New Destiny."
"...I see." Tyrannai replied. "Very well then, Arbiter. You will have your ship."
"The Spectre and I will meet on Therum, in the Artemis Tau Cluster. Meet us there. Arbiter out." the Arbiter instructed before his image blinked from his existance. Tyrannai turned towards the communications officer.
"Send a message to Tyrann drydock; 'Prepare my ship for war.'" he commanded.
...
1515 Hours, March 9th, 2683
Unknown Location
...
The Rasputin Project was running on schedule; the new medical procedures looked promising. A few rough patches, to be sure, but that's what additional testing's for. The Devastator Project also looked promising; the schematics sent from the Alliance contacts seemed feasible, and a prototype was in the midst of being built now. The same could be said of Project Minion.
Sadly, the operatives at Project Anthill have decided to abandon the project. The goals were deemed unfeasible. That, he could deal with. Failure is always an option, as the old scientist saying goes, and it's better to rule a hypothesis unfeasible than to waste further time and resources confirming that it's unfeasible. But compounding that, Project Armageddon was forcibly shut down thanks to, once again, Arbiter Thel 'Vadam.
The Illusive Man lit a cigarette and took a long draw. The last few weeks had been decidedly rough for Cerberus operations, but then again, no one said that the road to Humanity's salvation would be a smooth one.
It was then that he heard the doors to his cavernous office open. He remained seated as the guest walked past him and then faced him. The guest was a man who looked of be of mostly Chinese ancestry, but with a solid jawline that seemed to indicate a little slavic blood in his veins as well. He wore light armor as black as night, with a knife holster strapped to one hip and a pistol holster strapped to the other. Finally, he carried a duffel bag, presumably filled with all the equipment an elite assassin needs. He snapped off a crisp salute.
"Sir." he greeted.
"At ease, Agent Leng." the Illusive Man replied. "I take it the mission was a success."
"That it was, sir." Kai Leng replied with a smirk. He then produced a datapad from the duffel bag and handed it to the Illusive Man. On it was a photo of the body of Chieftain Tarkorus, a Jiralhanae warlord that had been raiding Human colonies out in the traverse...until Cerberus decided to do something about it. The Illusive Man nodded in approval.
"Well done." the Illusive Man said. "Operator Lawson will be joining us in-" He was cut off when he heard the door to his office open again and saw Kai look off towards it. He softly huffed. A beautiful woman entered the Illusive Man's line of sight. The dying star behind her highlighted her body's curves nicely.
"Sir." she greeted with an informal nod, in stark contrast to Leng's salute.
"Good of you to join us, Operator Lawson." the Illusive Man replied. "I read your report about what happened on Omega. Though I am pleased that the Cole protocol was successfully enacted, I am disappointed that the Arbiter didn't take your bait afterwards."
"That makes two of us, sir." Miranda replied. "I thought the Arbiter would be reasonable enough to want to investigate Saren and the Geth further, even if we are the source of any intel he gets. But unfortunately, it seems I've underestimated his overzealous hatred of Cerberus."
"Of course he's overzealous." Kai said with a roll of his eyes. "He's a Sangheili. They're all like that."
"I should've predicted this outcome." Miranda said, choosing to ignore Kai's comment. "I should've realized that Thel 'Vadam would never trust Cerberus."
"The hell kind of plan was that, anyway?" Kai asked his counterpart. "The Arbiter is an enemy. You don't give your enemy information."
"Two things, Leng." Miranda began. "First, there was nothing on that datapad that would've lead 'Vadam to another Cerberus cell. I checked. Second, the software bug on that datapad was one of my own personal design, which means that a bloody Hurogok wouldn't be able to find it. We could've tracked his movements all over the galaxy. You see, knowing where he is at all times would've been nice for us to know because, as you pointed out, 'Vadam is an enemy."
"Which would've been a good plan." Kai conceded. "But only if it, you know, worked."
"Right. I probably should have just shot him instead of thinking about the long-term consequences. That would have fixed everything." Miranda sarcastically argued.
"Actually, it kinda would have." Kai pointed out.
"Enough. Both of you." the Illusive Man calmly but firmly said. "What's done is done. What matters is where we stand now. Thanks to Miranda's actions on Omega, the Arbiter has run out of leads. We won't have to worry about him again for a while."
"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Kai asked.
"Granted." the Illusive Man replied.
"I think we're all ignoring the elephant in the room here." Kai said. "The most obvious solution to our Arbiter problem is also the quickest and easiest one, in my humble opinion." With that, he unsheathed his combat knife and twirled it around, then balancing the point of the knife on his armored finger.
"Out of the question." Miranda said. "Don't forget why the Arbiter is hunting us to begin with; that idiot Ivanovich killed a fleetmaster, so the Sangheili sent the Arbiter. If we kill the Arbiter, a blood hero to the entire Sangheili race, they'll start sending entire fleets into the traverse looking for us."
"Miranda's right, Agent Leng." the Illusive Man said. "It is hardly in Humanity's best interests for Cerberus to pick a fight with the Sangheili."
"Well we have to do something sir." Kai grunted in protest as he sheathed his knife.
"Agreed." the Illusive Man said. "As I said before, the Arbiter has run out of leads and doesn't know where to look for other cells. We need to take steps to keep it that way." He turned to Miranda. "I want you to review all current projects. Inspect them for intelligence leaks. I want each and every cell air-tight."
"Yes sir." Miranda said with a nod.
The Illusive Man turned back to Kai. "You'll remain here and wait for further orders. If Operator Lawson uncovers any traitors within our ranks, it will fall to you to deal with them."
"I'll be ready, sir." Kai said with a smirk, knowing what 'plug' was code for.
"Dismissed, Agent Leng." the Illusive Man said with a wave. Kai gave Miranda one last dirty look before walking out of the office.
"Do you really suspect treachery?" Miranda asked as soon as Kai left the office.
"Dr. Ivanovich had nothing to do with Project Armageddon, but the Arbiter found out about it anyway." the Illusive Man replied. "I don't know how that happened, but I'm not ruling anything out. Rest assured Miranda, I'm not going to go on a witch hunt. At least not until I have proof positive that someone's guilty. Now then, moving on to other matters. Did the package make it to Reach?"
"That it did." Miranda said with a smile. "Our agents will deliver it to the Normandy as soon as no one's looking."
"Good." the Illusive Man said. "That will be all."
...
Miranda descended the stairs that lead up to the Illusive Man's office and found Kai Leng hanging around the lab, leaning against a wall, twirling that knife of his in his fingers. "Well, that didn't take long." Kai said. "What, did he ask you to fetch his slippers or something?"
Miranda scowled at him. "He just wanted a quick update on one of my projects." she said.
"Whatever." Kai replied. "Just go out there and find me some more people to kill, will ya?"
"That'll only happen if I find anything." Miranda pointed out.
"You will." Kai replied. "Seems like there's always that one guy who suddenly decides that he's on the wrong team. So yeah. Chop chop. Gettin' kinda bored over here."
Miranda crossed her arms over her chest and gave the assassin a raised eyebrow. "Tell me something, Leng. Was everyone in the ODST an ass, or were you just special?"
"The latter." Kai nonchalantly replied with a shrug. "Now go on. Find me the leaks so I can plug them up." He smiled sadistically. "And by leaks I mean traitors. And by plug them up I mean shoot them in the head."
"There's more to life than just shooting things, you know." Miranda said before walking off past Kai.
"I know that." Kai countered as Miranda walked away. "There's also stabbing."
"Tosser." Miranda muttered to herself as she left the lab.
"Bitch." Kai muttered to himself as he continued to idly twirl around his knife.
...
2000 Hours, March 9th, 2683
Sovereign
Undisclosed Location
...
There were strange-looking people, aliens maybe, suffering.
Metal being welded to flesh.
Minds being tormented.
Blood splattering on the ground.
Screeching of the damned.
Eyes that spoke eons of malice.
A star.
A planet.
A light in the darkness.
A monster.
A roar.
"We are your salvation through destruction."
Go.
Before it's too late.
Over and over again, Saren mentally played that vision in his mind. It even haunted his dreams. Yet even with the Cipher, the vision was still unclear.
After their failure to secure Liara T'soni on Therum, Saren's Geth had since found another Prothean expert, some spineless Volus whose name Saren hadn't bothered to memorize. According to him, the reason the vision was unclear was because the beacon from Eden Prime was heavily damaged. While the Cipher was certainly a step in the right direction, it was useless with an incomplete vision. He would need to find another beacon if he wanted to complete the vision and learn the Codnduit's location.
This task was already being dealt with. Saren had Geth ships combing the Attican Traverse and Terminus Systems, searching system by system, planet by planet, for a working Prothean Beacon.
As well as for Saren's secondary objective. Halo.
Of course, Saren would have found Halo by now, hell he'd be on Halo by now if it weren't for a certain meddling Human.
"John..." he growled. Saren thought Anderson was a thorn in his side. But John? That man was a bullet wound in his leg.
Saren could handle losing Liara to him. Liara would've been a useful asset, but hardly a mandatory one. But in addition to that, this 'Master Chief' also used the beacon on Eden Prime, eliminated the Feros invasion force, which made Saren suspect that John also had the Cipher, and most recently, his companions destroyed Halo's location, practically shooting it out of the former Spectre's hand.
He also broke Saren's arm. Saren went into emergency surgery immediately after his grapple with the Spartan to repair the broken humerus. It has since been mended, but it still stings from time to time.
On top of all that, John was frustratingly hard to kill. Saren supposed he should've expected that, given that it was a super-soldier that he was dealing with here, but really, there's being a super-soldier and then there's just being stubborn. It seemed that wherever Saren went, there was the Master Chief to hound him.
As Saren sat in his quarters, thinking about all the ways he could kill John the next time they met, he sensed Matriarch Benezia's presence enter the room. "What is it?" he asked, already sensing that he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.
"We've lost contact with Peak 15 on Noveria." Benezia said.
"What happened?" Saren asked.
"We're not sure." Benezia answered.
Saren let out another low growl. Wonderful. Now he had that to deal with. "Go to Noveria." Saren ordered. "Find out what's going on over there, then fix it."
"Your will be done." Benezia said with a bow. "I will bring my finest commandos with me."
"Good to hear." Saren replied. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "If you're going to take commandos with you, take a couple hundred Geth too."
"...A couple hundred, Saren?" Benezia asked.
"In case John decides to poke around on Noveria." Saren explained as he stood up from his seat and walked over to his second in command. "If he does show up there, set traps for him. Firing lanes, security turrets, I don't care how you do it, just take him down."
"How are you even certain that John-"
"Don't! Question me!" Saren suddenly snarled. "That Rachni queen is too damn important! I refuse to allow that Human another inch! Are we clear on that?!"
"...Yes. We are." Benezia answered. "I'll take a few of the new hunter models with me. They will be put to good use if the Master Chief does show up."
"Take a little bit of everything." Saren spat as he walked back to his seat. As he sat down, he took a few breaths to calm himself. "Now go." he said. With that, the matriarch left, leaving Saren once again alone with his thoughts.
Saren thought back to John's words on Eletania.
Spartans never die.
Saren laughed harshly at that. "Oh John. If you only knew." he chuckled. "Everyone dies eventually. That's just how the cycle works."
...
Don't know why this one took so long. I guess it took so long because, hey, I'm DinoJake.
First little bit of commentary regarding this chapter; the state of Tyrann is basically the Sangheilios equivalent of Russia; big and cold. This may confuse some readers, as it was said in a previous codex entry that the Sangheili evolved in a desert habitat. Well one reader pointed out to me that there were some jungles on Sangheilios as well, and for a while, that made me think I messed up. But then I remembered how Earth is; in terms of biomes, it has a little bit of everything. Jungles, deserts, tundras, etc. Who's to say Sangheilios isn't the same way? So while the Sangheili themselves evolved in a desert habitat, they went on to colonize the rest of their multi-biome planet in much the same way we did with ours.
And some people will be upset that I gave Diana Allers a cameo. I don't get why people hate her so much. To me, she was like Jacob; she was such a bland character that she didn't really make enough of an impression on me to warrant hatred. But hey, she's there, mostly cuz Emily Wong is busy on Reach (more on that in a future chapter).
Also, I hoped I portrayed Kai Leng right. I've never read Mass Effect: Deception so I'm not sure how to portray Leng in written form. Then again, given the negative reception that book has received, maybe that's a good thing.
Speaking of portraying villains, how am I depicting Saren so far? I like to think I've got his character down pretty good, but I've never read Mass Effect: Revelation either, so I can't be sure of that.
Next up, I'd like to make a couple of shout-outs. First off, I've given WateryMind the green light to write a spin-off of this fanfic's universe called "Desperate Measures." Check him out. Remember; his skin isn't quite as tough as mine, so keep any criticisms you might have constructive.
Also, I'd like to make a shout-out to TheTrickyAcid, a Let's Player on Youtube. Why would I give a crap about some Let's Player on Youtube, you might ask? Because he's one of my Xbox buddies. Yeah, he's one of the few on my friends list who's genuinely a friend! Every XBL user has a few of those. Anyway, Tricky mostly does Skyrim and Far Cry 3 Let's Plays, so if that's your cup of tea, give him a look. Just don't send him any PM's telling him about how much I suck at writing fanfics. He's already well aware.
And recently, I've been noticing a new pattern in the reviews. Sure, there are still plenty of reviews about how Humanity is so weak in this universe and while I'm pretty good at characterization I absolutely suck at world-building, and so on and so forth. But I've also been getting a lot of reviews about how this is their favorite Halo / Mass Effect fanfic BECAUSE Humanity is so underpowered, the reason being that there are so many Halo / Mass Effect fanfics floating around where Humanity just comes in and acts like a bunch of dicks to everyone else.
Now, as some of my long-time readers may know, I started this fic two and a half years ago (I know. I'm as bad as Ross Scott), at a time where the current number of Halo / Mass Effect crossovers on this website was but a fraction of the current number today. When I started writing this fanfic, others came out of the woodwork in which Humanity was, at the very least, not as eager for compromise as they are in this work. I interpreted such fics as a direct responses to this fanfic, as if my work made people so angry that they wanted to write a better fanfic themselves. And honestly? I thought that was kinda cool. I kinda liked how my fanfic "inspired" others to try their hand at writing crossovers of these two universes themselves.
But according to some reviewers, the Halo / Mass Effect Crossover fanfic section is now FLOODED (see what I did there?) with such fanfics, which makes my own fanfic more popular on the basis of being an "alternative" view of Humanity; a Humanity that's a little more open to compromise and isn't so quick to try and dominate over or compete with the Council races for supremacy.
So really, at this point, it doesn't matter if you like my fanfic or not. You like it and follow it, great. If you like and follow a fanfic that spits in the eye of this one by featuring a more aggressive Humanity, you're making THAT fanfic more popular, and for every reader that is attracted to it, there is also a reader who is repelled by it. So when that fanfic gets more popular, it gains more readers, while chasing other readers who don't care for that fanfic's content into MY arms.
No matter what happens, I win.
...
I just find it incredibly funny that, if I had PLANNED any of this, I'd be a god damn evil genius. Or at the very least, a VERY good troll.