A.N - K. sorry this took so long life went a little bit crazy here so anyway that's my only excuse. At least I (unlike some people with stories currently on my fav's list) am making an update. anyway read and review. If it's confusing let me know and I'll try to clean it up. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

"Alright we're here. O'Kindly drop us out of slipspace on my signal. Everyone get to your battle stations Cortana," the Admiral turned his steely gaze to Cortana who stood beside him. "Take over Navigation and interface with the ship. With luck they lost us but I'm not going to bet the farm on it." Cortana nodded and slipped into the command chair that had been added to the bridge next to a port. She quickly secured the harness and with a deep breath closed her eyes and downloaded her mind into the ships AI mainframe.

In moments her holographic avatar rose up on the pedestal and tapped her foot impatiently. She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow.

"I've taken over navigation and according to my calculations we have ten seconds to safely exit before we over pass the system." Her tone held the usual mix of authority and disobedience.

"My clock says we have twenty." The admiral said looking up sharply

"We're riding in the draft of the Elites ship. The simultaneous jumps must have acted as a super boost. Instead of getting a boost from their wake the two ships are actually causing the other to go faster." Data scrolled around her body and she tapped her lip with a finger in contemplation. "This is incredible it's proving the Dronald theory of energy transference and-"

"Drop us out now Cortana." The Admiral said sharply and Cortana gave him a bland smile and everyone held on as the ship suddenly decelerated and dropped back into normal space.

"Transition completed. Incoming feed from the Elites." She replied.

"Put them on the centre view screen." The Admiral replied. "Strovinoch I want to know when our friends show up. O'Kindly use the forward scanners and see if you can find out where these Shal'qui are."

"Done sir." Cortana said as the other bridge crew responded and focused on their stations. The Admiral turned his gaze to the view screen as the Elites face rose into view.

The Arbiter stood against the wall of the transport quarters easily keeping his balance even though the other warriors in the room braced against the sudden deceleration as their ship, Unrepentant, dropped out of slip-space. Taking a deep breath the Arbiter crossed his arms over his chest and shut his eyes only the steady impatient tapping of the two thumbs of his left hand against his right bicep revealed his thoughts. None in the room knew his past or his thoughts though they harboured suspicions. Rtas watched him then his mauled mandibles twitched. He had his suspicions about this fallen warrior and he was living up to them.

A holographic screen glowed on a wall and all eyes turned to it as the councillor's visage appeared.

"Arbiter, Special Ops Commander, report to the bridge. Commanders ready the warriors." At the end of the command the screen blanked without waiting for the traditional responses, confident of their obedience. Rtas barked the necessary orders and quickly his sub commander and the rest of his battalion donned their dress armour and began to run the triple checks on their equipment and quarters. They knew the Shal'qui would be inspecting and the thought didn't sit well. Most of their memories of the Shal'qui were vague and old, a few were eager; it had been too long since they had last been allowed to see their Myir'sawyie. Rolling out his shoulders as though preparing for battle the Arbiter levered off the wall and with a glance at Rtas the two of them stepped out into the corridor.

Lights danced though out the corridors of the ship as the last of the grunts scrambled to their stations. Fellow ranked Elites nodded to the two as they passed and younger Elites took the necessary moment to offer the traditional deference as they herded stray grunts and engineers to their parts of the ship.

"Well what do you think?" Rtas asked as the two braced as the ship lurched in a defensive roll.

"I think we did not lose the Brutes as we hoped." The Arbiter deadpanned as he hit the command glyph for the gravity ramp that would carry them to the command deck buried in the center of the ship.

"That was the intention I believe, think the Shal'qui will be pleased with our gift?" Rtas rephrased as the ramp activated and the two of them were shot through the ship to their destination. The Arbiter glanced at him and clicked his mandibles in a wry grin.

"I cannot speak for the Shal'qui but I know that my Myri'saw will be most pleased at the prospect of battle." Rtas cocked his head.

"Is she blooded?" he asked casually as though the comment was unimportant.

"Well blooded. She was at Mrizkal Zatoia before she participated in her first ceremony." His voice had gone cool although something more complex ran though it as well.

"She did not believe did she?" Rtas dared and the Arbiter snorted.

"She did and she was hot headed enough that we drew swords over it at our first meet." Rtas scratched under his armoured mandibles as the ramp dropped them at their destination.

"I see. Let's hope that this time you have both cooled down." He rubbed the armour on his forearm absently shining some imagined dull spot.

"Let's." the younger agreed as the door to the bridge slid open allowing them entrance.

"Special Ops Commander, Arbiter. You are just in time, we've just sent out the hail signal to the Shal'qui. It was an open band system so let us hope that they pick up on it." The Ship Commander said flicking his long violet cape in agitation. The Councillor stood out of his way and gave a small shake of his head at the Commanders actions. His armour glowed silver white as turned his head to cast an appraising look at the two newcomers. Suddenly a beeping came from the communications site and the young Elite in charge at the sharp nod of the Ship Commander passed it though to him.

"Ah, Ship Commander, Humans I seem to remember the terms being one ship each." This time only one figure appeared on the screen again hooded and cloaked so that details were impossible to determine. A trace of humour filled the elegant tones.

"We bring a gift of Brute blood to the Shal'qui, as a sign of our good faith and as a good omen to the future of out alliance." The councillor said smoothly. One long slender ebony finger came into view as the figure seemed to consider its response, head tipped slightly to one side as though listening to someone off the screen. "Very well we accept this gift of faith. Proceed to the dark side of the planet a squadron is already en route to engage." With that the screen went black and the Ship Commander brought up the exterior sensors. Four screens rose into flickering life over the command council.

On one screen the human ship, with all it ugly bulk and peculiar awkward angles accelerated ahead on its new course obviously having received the same transmission. On another the Unrepentants' own course was brought up from the forward sensors. The other two screens were views of the Brute ships coming after them from two different angles.

"I don't see any signs of this squadron that they spoke of." The Ship Commander murmured. The Arbitor tilted his head to one side eyes flickering back and forth as he searched for the tell-tale signs of engine emissions. Suddenly one the Brute ships jerked sideways slamming into one of it's fellows as a bloom of blue fire came from its side. Other ships lurched as well as more coloured flares of light struck them. An ebony silhouette was momentarily backlit the smaller fighter was sleek and elegant without the curved bulk of covenant fighters nor the sharp edges the humans seemed to prefer. In the next moment it was gone without a trace.

The Brute forces could be seen scrambling to reorganize as the sound of their frantic com traffic came over the speakers as a series of barks, growls and yelps. Frantic shouts as well as orders struggled through the chaos. Suddenly on one of the ships belly monitors staticed as a slim ebony fighter flashed below them nearly brushing their shields without warning. Something about the action troubled the Arbiter. He hesitated only a moment before activating the mini view screen by his right eye snatching the image from the camera's databanks and enhancing it. There flickering over the cockpit of the fighter a familiar insignia glimmered for only an instant. A energy blade's outline was the image and while a common enough symbol, the outline however, wasn't made with lines but rather writing, the families motto, and also the private markings of the individual who carried it. He didn't need to read then to know what it said they were the first words they'd spoken to each other and the last. Written in First Shanglee the scrip stylized in its elegant simplicity the word formed the hilt of the weapon, "never".

Irritated he shut the screen down and returned his gaze to the screens of the rest of the battle. The Brutes ranks were decimated now and there was no doubt who the victors would be or how many survivors would escape to tell this tale. He turned to the foreword view screens as the ship passed the rounded edge of the planet to enter into the shadow of the other side. He felt his breath freeze in his chest and distantly noted the stunned expression on his face.

Before them was a city. Spires and towers swirled high in the air and even at this distance the glimmering lights of it revealed the green, red and violet hues of plants that formed massive garden and terraces. In the back of his mind instinct demanded that he fall to his knees before this creation. Stubborn pride kept him standing as they drew nearer. A crystal doom rose above to cap the city while below the slightly dished metal bottom the large rode of a stabilizer was the cities counter point. It rotated slowly though it was unnecessary for artificial gravity technology. Attached at the base of the crystal dome were enclosed walkways that led to an outer ring that framed the circumference of the city. He forced his gaze away from the view before him and onto a smaller view screen that rose up. It was the same speaker as before there was pride in her voice.

"The temple is beautiful is it not? However the ship that has been designated as neutral ground for our discussions is not it. The Squadron will escort you to it. There are docking points so that you may enter and leave it and your ship without leaving atmosphere. We shall meet you on board." With that she shut the screen down and a flying wedge of ships appeared before them, the brute's vessels now no more the dust and ash, dead bodies in space.

"Well brothers," the councillor spoke as the scanners revealed their destination to be a midsized vessel of unknown design. "Settle yourselves, now the fun really begins."