Chapter 2- The Arbiter
-How did you end up on this prison? Treason? Heresy? –asks one Elite
-None of these. –replies Thel 'Vadam
-What did you do then?
-I failed with the Covenant. I failed with my mission. I failed with my honor.
-What sentence they gave to you?
-They didn't give me any sentence.
-Why not?
-Because my judgment didn't happened yet.
-It didn't happened yet? Good luck for you.
-I am important to the Covenant. I am a Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice, I killed billions of humans during my years.
-What happened at your mission that you failed?
-I failed in protecting the Halo. I failed to protect the Great Journey.
-What's your name?
-Thel 'Vadam.
-Thel 'Vadam, you are a dead Elite. They will torture you to death and your body will be exposed in public. These are your last moments.
-Why do you think that?
-Because I have been in a judgment before. The council will call you heretic, traitor, for anything you do. I have been tortured before, dying doesn't look so bad after being tortured by a Brute. I saw the bodies of my dead partners being exposed in the middle of High Charity. Enjoy this last moments, you will miss them during your torture.
-What did you do?
-I refused to kill a human.
-This is treason! The humans are insignificant and they don't have honor. Why did you spare them?
-I spared them because like us, they are living beings. No living being, from good to evil, must be terminated.
-Would you spare the Flood?
-No, I wouldn't.
-So, tell me the truth, why didn't you kill that human?
-Because I didn't want to kill him! He was innocent, he didn't do anything! He had a family and he was scared!
-The humans aren't innocent!
-Some of them are innocent!
-The decision of the prophets was wrong, they should have tortured you to death.
-Your prophets aren't innocent either. They would do anything to have what they want. They are as bad as the humans you talk about.
-LIAR! TRAITOR! –shouts Thel 'Vadam
Thel starts choking that Elite in the same cell that he is. Thel have his armor and the other Elite doesn't have an armor. The Elite says:
-Search deep…down there…you…know it…is…true.
-IT ISN'T! STOP LYING, TRAITOR!
The Elite dies, Thel stands up and shouts very loud. Tartarus, the chieftain of the Brutes, show up in front of Thel's cell and say:
-It is time for your judgment, you incompetent Elite. Let's go.
Tartarus opens Thel's cell and pull him away from the cell. Tartarus hit Thel's head and say:
-Walk, you disgusting maggot.
They walk through High Charity, where the Grunts, Jackals and Elites are booing Thel. They throw rocks at Thel and call him a "You useless traitor!" and a "Heretic". He finally gets close to three prophets: Prophet of Truth, Prophet of Regret and Prophet of Mercy. The council is booing Thel. Prophet of Mercy shouts:
-ORDER! ORDER ON THIS COUNCIL!
-It is time to start the trial of Thel 'Vadam. Of all your crimes against the Covenant, the less disgusting was your decision to spare a human's life. Why did you spare this human life? –asks the Prophet of Truth
-I owed that human. He saved my life and I gave him my retribution. The Covenant's motto is: "A true member of the Covenant always fulfills his word".
-You have a point in following the Covenant's motto, but the humans are our enemies and we only use our motto with honored species. Your sentence for the human's life will be 500 years in the prison. Now let us talk about the Halo. How many ships were there?
-There was only one ship.
-One. Are you sure?
-Yes. They called it the SS Normandy.
-Why was it not destroyed with the rest of their fleet? –asks the Prophet of Mercy
-It was the first time that we saw this Halo, when the human ship got near to it, we were in the other side. When we got near to the ship, it was too late, they already have ran away.
-When you first saw Halo, were you blinded by its majesty? –asks the Prophet of Regret
-Blinded?
-Paralyzed? Dumbstruck?
-No.
-Yet the humans were able to run away, land on the sacred ring and desecrate it with their filthy footsteps!
-Noble Hierarchs, surely you understand that once the parasite attacked-
Thel is interrupted by the Council, which is muttering him angrily. The Prophet of Mercy bangs his fist down on his chair and shouts:
-THERE WILL BE ORDER ON THIS COUNCIL!
-You were right to focus your attention on the Flood. But this Demon, this "Master Chief"… -says the Prophet of Truth
-By the time I learned the Demon's intent, there was nothing I could do.
The council is angry, they are speaking to each other, saying that Thel is a traitor. Tartarus laugh with the Council's reaction to Thel's crimes. The Prophet of Regret, worried, whispers to the Prophet of Truth:
-Noble Prophet of Truth, this has gone on long enough. Make an example of this bungler. The Council demands it!
Truth makes a sign of silence with his hand. The council stops talking and pay attention to what Truth wants to say:
-You are one of our most treasured instruments. Long have you led your fleet with honor and distinction. But your inability to safeguard Halo was a colossal failure.
One of the Prophets in the Council stands up and says:
-Nay, it was heresy!
The council yells angrily on Thel. He gets angry and say to the prophets:
-I will continue my campaign against the humans!
-No, you will not. –replies Truth
Tartarus makes a sign to two Brutes, which grabs Thel's arms and starts dragging him out of there. The Prophet of Truth says to Thel before he leaves the Council's Courthouse:
-Soon, the Great Journey shall begin. But when it does, the weight of your heresy will stay your feet, and you shall be left behind.
The Brutes take Thel back to his cell. They throw him inside the cell and say:
-Wait there while we prepare your sentence.
Thel sits inside his cell, regretting his past actions. He says to himself:
-Why didn't I kill that human? It would have been better for me. I wouldn't be trapped inside this cell.
He looks to his right and see the ghost of the Elite that he killed on this same cell. Thel says to this "ghost":
-I must be crazy! You are dead!
-So are you. –replies the ghost
-I have to be crazy, there are no such things as ghosts.
-Indeed you are. I am here to represent your past actions, as saving the human's life and failing in protect the Halo. You regret doing all of them, but you can't change the past, so deal with it. I'm not a ghost, I am your consciousness.
-I can't change the past, but I can change the future!
-No, you can't. You are doomed, there is no way out of this. You will always be known as a traitor. This is your legacy.
-No, this won't be my legacy. It is not over yet!
-You can trick yourself, but you can't trick your mind. We both know that there is no way out of this situation, so enjoy your last moments.
-You're right. I am a dead Elite by now. I failed with my honor, I don't even deserve torture to death.
-You know what is funny? Deep down, you know that you killed me for no reason at all. You spared a human's life and you killed me for sparing a human. Such a dirty hypocrite. Why have you killed me Thel?
-I killed you because…- he is interrupted by the ghost
-Because you wanted to discount your anger on me. Am I right?
-No…NO…you aren't! YOU AREN'T!
-Hey you crazy idiot! Stop talking to yourself! Shut the hell up and let me sleep! –shouts a Jackal locked in a cell
-Shut up you, filthy mercenary. Your lack of faith and greed for money made you end up on this cell. Soon enough, the Council will see that your species are dishonored and they will be expelled from the Covenant.
The Jackal put his head out of his cell and shouts to Thel:
-When I get out of this cell, I will rip your guts off and I'll make you eat them. Soon enough, you will regret shouting to me. YOU WILL REGRET!
-Stop talking prisoner! Otherwise, I'll turn you into my dinner. –says Tartarus, which just have reached the prison room.
-Yes, sir. –says the Jackal, sarcastically.
-Thel, let's go.
Tartarus makes a sign to two Brutes, which open Thel's cell and take him out of there. They start taking him through High Charity. Thel gets surprised when he sees that there is no one in the streets. They take Thel to the Torture Square, where everyone is waiting for his torture. All the Grunts are shouting:
-He-re-tic! He-re-tic! He-re-tic!
Thel gets surprised with the amount of Covenant species that came only to watch his torture. Tartarus smiles and say happily to Thel:
-You've drawn quite a crowd.
-If they came here to hear me beg, they will be disappointed. –says Thel that spits on Tartarus' face
Tartarus clean his face, laughs a little bit and asks Thel:
-Are you sure?
The Brutes lock Thel in two electric chains, which start electrocuting him. He screams in pain, while the crowd cheers for more torture. Tartarus starts speaking to the crowd:
-He is a traitor, a heretic. He just ignored everything that the Covenant taught him. He stopped the Great Journey from happening, there can be no greater heresy! Let him be an example for all who would break our Covenant!
Tartarus makes a sign to two Brutes, which pulls out Thel's chest armor and starts taking his armor out of his body. When Thel is completely naked, Tartarus pulls out a hot iron hammer and hits him with the hammer. Tartarus hits Thel chest and belly several times and in every time, Thel shouts louder and louder in pain. After holding so much pain, he finally faints, but the crowd thinks that he is dead, so they cheer a lot. Tartarus give another sign to the two Brutes, which starts carrying Thel's body. They carry the body through High Charity. When they are in the prison block, one of the Brutes says:
-How much further must we heft this baggage? Any cell will do.
They pass in front of a cell full with angry Jackals. The second Brute says:
-Why not toss him in with this lot? They could use the meat.
-Them? What about us? My belly aches…and his flesh is seared, just the way I like it.
-Quiet! You two whimper like Grunts fresh off the teat. He's not meant for the jails. The Hierarchs have something special in mind. –says Tartarus
They take Thel to the Mausoleum of the Arbiter, where the Prophet of Truth and Mercy are waiting for him. Tartarus kneels for the Prophets and say:
-Noble Prophets of Truth and Mercy. I have brought the incompetent.
-You may leave, Tartarus. –says the Prophet of Truth
-But…I thought- Tartarus is interrupted by Truth
-And take your Brutes with you.
Tartarus, surprised, stands up and say to his Brutes:
-Release the prisoner!
The Brutes stop carrying Thel and throw him in the ground. He makes an effort to kneel for the Prophets. Tartarus and his Brutes leave the room. The Prophet of Truth says:
-The Council decided to have you hung by your entrails and your corpse paraded through the city. But ultimately, the terms of your execution are up to me.
-I am already dead. –says Thel
-Indeed. Do you know where we are?
-In the Mausoleum of the Arbiter.
-Quite so. Here rests the vanguard of the Great Journey. Every Arbiter, from first to last. Each one created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis.
-The Taming of the Hunters, the Grunt Rebellion. If weren't for the Arbiters, the Covenant would have broken long ago! –says the Prophet of Mercy
-Even on my knees, I do not belong in their presence. –says Thel
-Halo's destruction was your error, and you rightly bear the blame. But the Council was... overzealous. We know you are no heretic. You shall restore your honor, by following our orders without questioning it. For now, we have a specific mission for you. –says Truth
-What use am I? I can no longer command ships, lead troops into battle- he is interrupted by Truth
-Not as you are, no. But become the Arbiter…and you shall be set loose against this heresy with our blessing.
-What of the Council?
-The tasks you must undertake as the Arbiter are perilous, suicidal. You will die, as each Arbiter has before you. The Council will have their corpse. –says the Prophet of Mercy
Truth press a button and the Arbiter's armor shows up in the middle of the room. Thel, limping, walks to the armor and gears up. He breathe hardly and put the Arbiter's helmet. He turns around, look to the Prophet of Truth and asks:
-What would you have your Arbiter do?
-In the remains of the sacred ring, a "demon" created a Heretic Army. He deluded them with foolish lies. Now he leads an army against the Covenant and we must take down as fast as possible. If we don't take him down now, he will be as big as us. What's your plan, Arbiter?
Thel grabs a Carabine and says with conviction:
-My plan is making this "demon" regret.
-Regret what? –asks Truth
-Regret living.
