Ch. 3 A Meeting and A Problem
Chapter 3 time and this story is going strong so far. Thank you all for following it so much and I hope it lives up to your expectations. Chapter 2 of Dovahkiin will be out by next Wednesday and I am hoping to have chapter 4 of Were It So Easy by next weekend's end.
Nothing much to say here except enjoy the chapter and vote in the poll on my profile regarding A New Beginning if you have read it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters copyright of Bungie and 343.
The diplomacy team was assembled and waiting for their transport to be prepared. Lord Hood was the leader of the small team with Fleet Admiral Harper and Gunnery Sergeant Stacker and Spartan-117 providing backup. It was a small team but it was better than bringing a 10-person party for negotiations; the elites might take it as a sign of strong-arming them and become aggressive.
"Nervous Chief?" Cortana asked through his helmet speaker.
"No, Lord Hood knows what he is doing Cortana." The Chief replied calmly.
"I wasn't asking about Hood, Chief. I was asking about you telling the Arbiter, thank you." Cortana replied with teasingly but the Chief didn't even flinch.
"Cortana, we are going for a diplomatic meeting not an apology session." The Chief replied uncaringly before relenting. "If I get a chance then I will thank her for pulling us out of the aft section of the Dawn."
Cortana sighed in his speaker. "It's the best I can ask for I guess."
"Why are you pushing for me to speak to the Arbiter, Cortana?" The Chief asked suddenly.
Cortana already had numerous statements to present to him for the answer. "She is like you in a way Chief. She was a commander that was stripped of her rank then forced into a suicide role and you have been in near suicidal missions since you were combat ready as a Spartan. She was a cold and ruthless commander who wanted success regardless and so were you before you got put with me." Cortana replied calmly. "Sometimes I wonder who is the machine between us Chief." She finished uncertainly.
The Chief didn't have an answer to her comment nor was she expecting one but it still was a serious statement. The Chief wanted to say that it was her but he couldn't. Ever since he was first put into combat, his actions were more like a machine than anyone else. He always accomplished a mission without regards to anything else just like a machine that was programmed to do its master's bidding. He was told to kill and he killed, without regards to civilian or military casualties as long as his mission was done. The Chief knew he was the machine but his pride would never let him admit it.
-Scene Change-
The Arbiter was currently pacing the length of the docking ramp in the hanger in anticipation of the arrival of the first peaceful talks between Sangheili and Human since the Great Schism happened.
"The humans will arrive in a minute, Arbiter." An Elite in red armor replied as he walked into the dock. She stopped her pacing when he spoke and turned to him.
"Are the suppression teams in place, encase of hostility breaking out?" She asked hesitantly. Having suppression teams made her feel like she was leading her allies into a trap but it was necessary for protection sake.
"They are in place to jump at any moment." He acknowledged. "The demon will be attending will he not?"
The Arbiter nodded and turned her attention to the vast expanse of space out of the shielded bay. "He will be on guard for the slightest hint of trouble so ensure the entire crew is respectful." She ordered as the Elite put his fist to his chest in salute before walking away to carry out her orders. She was left alone on the docking bay again. "God's help us if this goes south." She said as a shield to the hanger was dropped and a human Pelican entered the hanger.
-Scene Change-
The Chief stepped into the dock behind Lord Hood as soon as the Pelican landed in the hanger. It looked the same as the 'Truth and Reconciliation' hanger he infiltrated when he had to rescue Captain Keyes but it was little bigger and more blue as opposed to a dark purple he was use to seeing in Covenant ships. Engineers and Elites were moving about the hanger performing maintenance and refitting ships but all movement ceased and all eyes turned to the new arrivals when Lord Hood and his team stepped off the Pelican.
"They aren't shooting yet, that's always a good sign." Cortana said in his ear.
"They probably don't know it's me." The Chief replied though some of the Elites were eyeing him as if trying to decide something.
The Arbiter cleared her throat and bumped her fist to her chest in greeting. "Welcome to our ship, commander. It is an honor to welcome you and your guests for such an historic event as this." She spoke in a calm and even tone. Inwardly, she was completely worried of blundering and causing a diplomatic incident that started this meeting badly.
"Lord Hood is fine. I do not believe we can completely form a pact like this, however we will wish to at least have something accomplished between our races that can hopefully lead to a more permanent treaty." Hood said firmly. Hood was completely for brokering an alliance with the Sangheili but with everything that has happened it would take a lot of time and healing before such an act was completed.
The Arbiter nodded briskly. "I completely understand Lord Hood. I, too, know of the futility of brokering a complete alliance but as you said, we are hoping for a temporary fix that could help bring in a new era to both of our races."
"That's what we all hope for." Lord Hood said solemnly.
The Arbiter turned to the rest of Hood's group. "Who are the rest of your team?" She asked as her glanced at them before they stopped on the Chief. She was sure that she had met this human somewhere but she couldn't remember where.
Hood indicated to the man standing to his right. "Fleet Admiral Harper." He then pointed to Stacker. "Gunnery Sergeant Stacker." He said as Stacker gave a stiff nod of his head. Stacker had lost most of his soldiers in the war but he was one of the leading voices to fight alongside the Elites. Hood then pointed to the Chief before smirking. "And this is Sierra-117."
If the Arbiter had a human jaw then it would've been on the ground. Now she knew why he looked a little familiar to her. His stance and movement reminded her of the Spartan but he wasn't wearing the armor so she wrote it off as a coincidence. All around the hanger, voices started whispering. "The demon is human?" seemed to be the prevalent thought.
"I guess they are shocked to see a human underneath the armor, Chief." Cortana said with a snicker. "I guess the Arbiter likes what she sees as well." She finished while laughing. The Chief merely ignored her.
The Arbiter was indeed taking in his features at that moment. Standing 6"10' with short brown hair and blue eyes with a light skin color that looked like it hadn't seen sun in years and the skin around his eyes did have some small wrinkles that were appearing due to age but that only made him seem more warrior-like that he already was. 'The females would definitely pursue him back on Sangheilios regardless of his race if they saw his face in tandem with his feats.' The Arbiter thought. 'A warrior that many keep's would gladly offer him anything to have him join their ranks.' Her thoughts turned darker at the notions. 'They would do well to keep their distance if he visited. If they even come anywhere close to him then my sword will find their gut.' She thought darkly before shaking her head. 'Now isn't the time for this.' The answer her mind had wasn't something she wanted to admit to herself. "It is my honor to meet you all in a different setting than in previous encounters. My name is Thela 'Vadam, the Arbiter of the Sangheili." She spoke with confidence as she faced Hood again. "If you would follow me to the meeting room, we can begin."
-Scene Change-
They broke for lunch at 1200 and Hood was about to shove his head through a wall. He knew that this would be difficult but the Elites were determined to try and fight every little thing. From ship limits to planet distances and weapon limits, it was like pulling teeth from a screaming child. "If it was going to be this bad, I would've assigned someone else to do this." Hood sighed weary from the meeting so far.
"With all due respect, sir. I don't think anyone else could've made it through so far without pissing them off." Stacker replied over his rations.
"He has a point Admiral." Harper replied with a small grin.
Hood shook his head and turned to the Chief. "I don't suppose I could talk you into doing this Chief?"
"I'm a soldier sir, not a diplomat." The Chief replied simply.
"Sometimes Chief, that's all that is needed." Hood said as the door to the room opened and the Arbiter walked in.
"Are you ready to resume talks?" She asked hesitantly.
"Can you give us 10 minutes? We just started to eat." Stacker said exasperated.
"Sergeant." Hood said warningly.
"Very well." The Arbiter said before her eyes found the Chief again. "Spartan, would you mind accompanying me?"
The Chief cocked his head. "Why?"
"Go with her Chief." Cortana hissed into his ear. "It'll give you both some time to talk and it might help the negotiations go better."
The Arbiter inclined her head. "Two warriors on equal ground would help in smoothing over negotiations. If you had to gamble, would you gamble on helping these talks go better or sit back and do nothing?"
Hood considered the idea. "The Arbiter has a point Chief. If you could help out by talking things over then you have my permission."
The Chief sighed. "Yes, sir." He followed the Arbiter out of the room and down the hall. "What exactly do you want to talk about." He asked her as they walked.
The Arbiter was trying to keep calm. "I had hoped we could have a friendly spar in the training room. We never settled who is best after all." She said with a small measure of hope in her voice. It was customary for a male to prove himself in combat against others for a normal female but if the female in question was a Keep Guardian or another warrior then the male had to defeat the female in a sparring match to prove his worth. A loss didn't disqualify him but that meant the female had the final say in whether or not he would be a good fit.
The Chief mulled it over. "Any reason for this right now?"
"I figured it would be a good time to let off some steam. We both have grudges against the other race and this would help relieve some of those pent up feelings." She said solemnly. 'It would also help me prove myself to you through combat.' She thought eagerly. She might be a warrior but she was still female at heart and as custom the potential suitor had to fight her in combat.
The Chief was feeling a little restless the past couple days and a little fighting might help him calm down. "Alright but I'm not responsible for injuries." He said finally.
"Agreed." The Arbiter replied as they came to a stop outside the training room. "This is a friendly spar, not a fight to the death." She finished as the doors opened to permit them.
The room was about the size of a firing range with a physical contact room on one side and a firing range on the other complete with plasma pistols, rifles and a couple of carbines on the walls. Some Elites were testing themselves in mock battles while others were firing at brute targets in the range. Cortana was chuckling as the Elites seem to take great pleasure in aiming for the brutes head and almost went to full blown laughter when she saw that some targets were of the Prophets with numerous holes in them.
The Arbiter took one look at the targets and growled with disdain. "Traitors like that deserve no mercy." She spoke with venom as she led him to a space in the room. "No weapons and no serious injuries. Are you ready?" She said as she stretched.
The Chief merely nodded as he finished his short warm up.
No words were needed as they began to grapple. The room went silent but for the combatants they didn't notice. The Chief went for a right hook only for the Arbiter to twist away and attempt to sweep his legs which he blocked. She followed up with a punch to his gut but had her arm grabbed as he attempted to throw her over his shoulder. Back and forth they moved almost in an intricate dance; the Arbiter had graceful and fluid movements and the Chief had the raw power and skill. Every punch and kick they threw at each other was either dodged or blocked in a way that almost seemed like they were reading each other's minds.
The Chief was actually enjoying himself for once. It made him missed the time he spent sparring with his fellow Spartans. It helped them build camaraderie and allowed them to loosen up before a mission. The Arbiter wasn't a Spartan but she was just as quick and agile as one and that actually made the Chief enjoy this.
The Arbiter was completely entranced in what they were doing. It seemed as though they knew each other so well to the point that they were in sync with each other. She found herself presently enjoying the fight and wished it wouldn't end.
The fight went on for about 20 minutes and yet both combatants showed no signs of stopping but they knew they had to stop sometime. With a final push they both locked hands and attempted to overpower the other through brute force; as their eyes met they gave short nods of approval as they finally disengaged after another few minutes of struggle. The Chief had sweat running down his face and the Arbiter fared no better as she was panting.
"Wow John…just wow." Cortana said in awe. It was like watching a soap opera in a fight. "Did you have fun?"
The Chief sighed and wiped his brow. "It was enjoyable Cortana. I haven't had a fight like that since Blue Team."
The Arbiter wiped the sweat from her face as the Elites around them started to talk about the fight they just saw. "You were a great opponent Spartan. I look forward to more spars in the future." She said with a curt nod of her head.
"As do I Arbiter." The Chief replied in agreement. "It's time for the meeting to resume, I believe."
"You are a killjoy Chief." Cortana said to him. "You were having fun and now you brought work into it."
The Arbiter let out a sigh. She had completely forgotten about the meeting with what they were doing. "You are correct but I did enjoy our spar. Perhaps you could tell me about your training on the way?" She asked curiously. If the humans had that kind of training then she wondered how their own warriors would fair going through that.
"Most of it is classified but I could tell you some." The Chief said at Cortana's urging. The Arbiter nodded as they walked out of the room and back to the meeting room.
The Arbiter was internally smiling the entire time. 'Step one of the courting process….complete.'
-Scene Change-
The cease-fire agreement was reached after an hour of negotiations and the members of the diplomacy party were on their way back to the Cairo.
"That went….surprisingly well." Hood said hesitantly. "What did you two talk about Chief?"
The Chief shrugged. "We just had a sparring match. The Arbiter wanted to find out who was better but it ended in a draw."
"You both fought to a draw Chief?" Stacker replied with a hint of respect.
The Chief nodded. "They know how to fight in hand-to-hand combat."
Stacker whistled while Hood sighed. "Now I know why they were more agreeable to our terms."
"At least they did sir. Now it's up to the Government when they hear the news." Harper replied reluctantly. "You know how Politics work; they will debate for hours just to hear themselves speak."
Hood nodded tiredly. "The only saving grace is the fact that war is off the table, for now." He said as they all nodded. "Some people will do whatever they can to either destroy the agreement or subvert it."
"Let's hope that never comes Chief." Cortana said to him but he knew that something was going to happen; it always did.
-Scene Change-
Cortana woke the Chief up abruptly. "Chief wake up! You need to get to the bridge!"
The Chief sat up quickly. "What's going on Cortana?"
"No time to explain, grab your gear and get to the bridge." She said as she left the comm. The Chief wasted no time in gathering his armor and weapon before rushing out the door, he didn't get far however.
Two armored figures were at the end of the hallway and judging by their stance, they weren't here for talk. "Hold it Spartan!"
The Chief stopped and looked them over. They looked like Spartans but none that he recognized, not even the Spartan III's.
The lead Spartan identified himself. "Lieutenant Niles and this is Lieutenant Stocker, Spartan IV's. ONI has ordered us to bring you in for questioning."
And cue the dreaded Cliffhanger! The Arbiter began the courting process, unknown to the Chief, and ONI has sent the new Spartans after the Chief. Things are starting to heat up and the Chief is at the center as usual.
I understand that some people might not like how the IV's are already here but that will explained next chapter along with the reason ONI is after the Chief. Also some people might have a problem with the Arbiters name but it was the only thing I could come up with so I just added an "a" to it. Hopefully it isn't too big a problem though.
Don't forget the poll if you have read A New Beginning and also be sure to review with your opinions on how this story is going!
Till next time my faithful readers!