Ch. 6 Problems Abound
Chapter 6 and not much else to say except thank you for the reviews so far and I still need 3 more names for my Skyrim story. Details regarding the submissions are on the bottom of chapter 5 if you want to take part in it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters are copyright of Bungie and 343.
"What do you mean they want to resubmit their request for me?!" The Arbiter practically yelled at her father.
Her father looked down in sadness. "It would be for the best daughter."
The Arbiter didn't look placated in the slightest. "The best for whom? The Keep disowned me when I lost command and you haven't spoken to me again until a month ago, now all of a sudden you want to decide my future for me again?"
Her father didn't even meet her face again. "You are the Arbiter and you command great respect daughter, but the older Keeps will be hesitant to allow you to remain in your post. That is why we are giving the offer some thought."
The Arbiter narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Behind my back and without my consent, mother would be ashamed with you."
Her father gave a very visible flinch. "She would be more upset that you are not following my wish." He said but it was hollow and with no bite.
"Was it your wish to sell her to another Keep?" The Arbiter challenged and the elders around them stiffened. "You sold her to another Keep after you had me and then we get a report that she had an "accident" upon arriving, you sent her away because she would've stopped you from doing this."
One of the Elders stood. "Watch your tone girl, you were disowned and are only back because of your role."
The Arbiter's response was igniting her Energy Sword and facing the Elder. "Do not tempt me old one."
"Enough." Her father said weakly. "Daughter please, you have yet to see who they are offering this time. Please just consider the male they have asked for you to wed."
The Arbiter snorted and extinguished her sword but kept the handle out. "Some son of an Elder, no doubt."
Her father nodded. "He is a great warrior who has won many battles in the war. His feats aren't close to yours but he is very influential and strong enough to protect you."
The Arbiter's eyes narrowed again. "You mean influential and strong to keep me under his and his Keeps heels. My position would become nothing more than a figurehead to them and you know it."
Her father flinched again. "It would bring us strong children." He said weakly.
"You know the females in that Keep are treated worse than garbage and yet you will still ask me to go there?" She shot back angrily.
"It's an unfortunate yet necessary part of our culture." Her father replied.
The Arbiter switched tactics. "What is his name?" She asked with a sinking feeling in her gut.
Her father only looked up at her for a second before looking down and replying. "Kevam 'Mulamaa"
The Arbiter was silent for a moment before her rage took over and her sword flared again. "That disgrace to our race!? Do you even have a slightest bit of knowledge of what he has done?"
"His record and feats in combat-" Her father began only to be cut off by her.
"Are severely out matched by the number of disciplinary records against him during the war. The only thing that kept him in the Covenant was the fact that his Keep was one of the Covenant's most influential and wealthy backers." The Arbiter shouted.
"Surely you are merely joking." One Elder said but went silent when her glare and sword turned to him.
"He raped prisoners for no reason other than his own amusement, he killed any troops under his command simply for sport, he fought with his superiors at any opportunity, he abandoned his troops when they were losing and he insulted his brothers simply because he didn't get his way." The Arbiter shot back.
"He lost his arm in battle daughter, surely you can take some sympathy for him?" Her father suggested hopefully but was shot down by her next statement.
The Arbiter threw her head back and laughed. "Do you know how the humans knew where he was? It's really quite simple, we gave them his location and offered him as a gift. The fact he escaped is saddening but to know that he lost an arm was more than gratifying for the rest of the Sangheili."
"You sold out one of your own!" One Elder shouted.
"We all did and none of us regret it. He was a disgrace to the Sangheili and it was elating to see what had happened to him and even better was the fact that he was able to not kill any human in that ambush. He merely ran away from them like a coward." The Arbiter replied in a mocking tone.
"Regardless, he will be here tomorrow and as per tradition you will fight him. Should he win then you have no choice but to agree." Her father said.
"He will not win, I can guarantee that." She said as she turned around and walked out of the chamber.
"The nerve of that child." An Elder said but her father shook his head sadly.
"She is correct." Her father replied. "She has been training since day one and her numerous feats and unmatched experience in combat practically guarantees her victory. She has even faced down the Parasite and come away unscathed from battle reports."
"Then why did you agree to this?" One Elder asked him.
"I wanted to see if she was still defiant of me and it seems that she is. She still resents me to this day but she is my daughter and I still love her." Her father said. "Regardless of her thoughts of me and my actions I still love her and her mother would be proud of her after kicking me around the Keep for the things I have done." He finished with a small laugh.
-Scene Change-
The Arbiter stalked the halls in irritation at the latest development. 'How dare they go behind my back and decide my future for me! I will not allow this to stand!'
"Bad day at the office?" Cortana said in her comm.
The Arbiter snorted. "Worse than bad, they wish for me to marry the biggest disgrace to our race in history and expect me to be overjoyed at it."
Cortana sighed. "No matter where you go, politics are just as bad."
The Arbiter nodded in agreement. "I got a lot of built up frustration now."
Cortana smirked evilly. "Spar with John and show them just who you have an eye on?"
The Arbiter smirked back. "I could do with a good fight. How is it going on your end?"
Cortana sighed. "Unless you come out and say you are courting him, I doubt he will know. He isn't dense but his training is overriding everything else."
The Arbiter huffed in irritation. "If his training wasn't so emotion breaking then he would be mine by now."
"Agreed but for now just keep doing your part and I will handle it on my end. Go ask him for a spar and see how it goes." Cortana said as the Arbiter proceeded to the human quarters.
-Scene Change-
"Another fight?" The Chief asked with a raised eyebrow.
The Arbiter nodded. "We are tied at the moment but our last one was cut short due to time. I am asking for a rematch."
The Chief thought about it for a moment. 'It helps with keeping my skills sharp.' "Alright, where and when?"
"The courtyard in 10 minutes." She said as she walked away and the Chief swore he saw her walk away with a slight sway in her hips.
"What was that about?" The Chief asked as Dubbo and Stacker smacked their heads and Cortana sighed.
"Just go get ready, Chief." Cortana said as she huffed in irritation. Not for the first time in their partnership was she cursing his training. Necessary for the war but now it was only a hindrance to her goal.
-Scene Change-
The Chief and the Arbiter stood in a sparring ring in the courtyard. Instructors were shuffling younglings into the front for a learning point and servants and scholars were anxious to see how Earth's strongest matched up to their own. Even some of the Elders came to observe the fight and see just how powerful the Spartan was.
The two fighters ignored the crowd around them and assumed a fighting stance. As if on cue they both rushed each other and began their intricate fight turned dance. The Chief wasn't confined by small space this time but he couldn't take advantage due to the Arbiter's natural flexibility and grace in her movements.
An hour into the fight and neither seemed willing to back down despite the sweat that running down their skin. They merely glanced each other before engaging again with the Chief throwing a punch that was blocked before parrying a sweep and turning it into a throw that the Arbiter turned into a roundhouse kick that was aimed at his face.
The Arbiter smirked as her kick connected but was quickly planted into the ground when the Chief grabbed her other foot and threw her to the ground. Before she could react he was on top of her and had a fist coming down on here that she blocked and rolled so she was now over him. "Give up?" She said with a smirk on her face.
"Not quite." The Chief replied before grabbing her arm and taking advantage of her surprise and throwing her off him with a considerable amount of force.
They both stood back up panting and sweaty and yet neither wanted to stop. The Chief was having fun and the Arbiter was letting off some much needed frustration at the day's events and was enjoying the Chief's company.
"One more shot?" The Chief asked her with a grin.
"One more shot." The Arbiter replied.
They began to run at each other and the Arbiter sent an uppercut to his jaw while the Chief sent a haymaker to her cheek and in the span of a few seconds they were both on the ground panting.
"Good…fight?" The Chief asked between breaths.
"A very good fight…" The Arbiter replied with tired sigh.
Servants came around aided them both up and get them medical attention while the rest of the crowd applauded the show they had just witnessed. The Chief had a small smile at the Sangheili instructors asking star struck pupils about the fight and what they could have done differently. It reminded him of how some of his instructors taught by example in his training and always offered advice on how to do better.
The Arbiter felt very tired and yet very happy at how the fight went. She not only got to work out her anger at her father and the Keep Elders but she also got to showcase more of her skill to her would-be suitor. She felt very confident in her ability and after tomorrow's fight she would show the Elders and her father that she would only allow one person to have the honor of her partner.
In the Council Room overlooking the courtyard, the Arbiter's father watched the entire fight. "You are not making things easy my daughter. This won't go unchallenged but I hope you succeed and can eventually forgive an old father's mistakes." He turned his attention to the Chief. "I hope you can protect her from what is about to come."
In another room, Selmon was speaking to his superior. "I think I have found a good backer if we can play our cards right."
"Are you sure of this Admiral." A feminine voice said back from a small monitor.
"100% sure ma'am. All it would take is some underhanded dealing and we can gain a foothold on this planet." Selmon replied in acknowledgement.
"Proceed as you can Admiral but don't forget about the Spartan. Getting him extricated back to Earth is our main priority right now and you can't afford to mess that up." The voice spoke back as the comm was shut off.
"No worries ma'am…..I'm the best at what I do." He said as he walked past two dead guards.
Phew that was a fun chapter to write. I apologize if the Chief seems a little OOC but I'm trying to change his views slowly but every now and then he will surprise you all.
We see the Arbiter put her foot down and we get a couple of problems arising that might end up derailing the Arbiter's plan but remember the saying "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" or in this case a female Sangheili scorned.
I did make up the part about the Arbiter's mother to give her some kind of tragic past and a reason to despise her father so my apologies if it offends anyone.
Read and review and I will see you all later!