Ch. 9 Surprise Surprise
Merry Christmas to all and I hope you enjoy my Christmas double header! I have updated both Love of Dragonesses and Were It So Easy for your viewing pleasures as a Holiday gift to all my readers. I hope this makes all of your holidays extra enjoyable
Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters are copyright of Bungie and 343.
"Not really the way I would've handled that but you got the job done at least." Cortana said as the Arbiter sat in her room.
"I had no choice in the matter. If the Spartan lost then you know the consequences and that was a risk I wasn't willing to take." The Arbiter replied as she cleaned her armor.
"How do you think the Chief will take it?" Cortana asked curiously.
"You haven't told him?" The Arbiter asked in shock.
"That would be your job isn't it? My part in this was done by getting out rumors that the Demon was on your planet and in your Keep. Your job was to court him." Cortana said smugly.
"And I have been." The Arbiter replied sternly but Cortana only sighed.
"You never told him about that custom nor have you even hinted the fact that you were. Face it; the most revered warrior in the Sangheili culture is scared." Cortana said as the Arbiter flared up.
"I am not scared!" The Arbiter replied hotly. "I jumped straight into the Flood infested High Charity to drag you and the Spartan out!"
"And yet you can't tell one person you want to be with them. The mighty Arbiter is acting like a shy schoolgirl." Cortana said as she continued to press the Arbiter's buttons.
"I am not shy nor am I a coward!" The Arbiter said as she leapt to her feet.
"Then you will tell the Chief by the end of the day." Cortana said as the Arbiter paled.
'She tricked me!' The Arbiter thought wildly. 'The damn AI tricked me!'
"Have fun telling him!" Cortana said cheekily as she switched off the comm after hearing the Arbiter scream in anger. "I love messing with people." She said to herself as she saved the memory of the Arbiter's stunned face.
-Scene Change-
"Any idea where the Admiral went?" Stacker asked the Chief who shook his head.
"No and that is what is beginning to worry me." The Chief replied.
"I knew there was something wrong with him. Gut instincts have never been wrong before and they started going off as soon as he stepped on the cruiser." Dubbo replied as he scarfed down a field ration kit.
"What exactly is he trying to accomplish?" Stacker asked as the Chief shrugged.
"I don't know but Cortana said that she noticed him speaking a lot to those Sangheili from the Mulamaa Keep. Whatever it was, it was good enough for them to actually consider as they left with considerably less angry faces." Dubbo replied as he finished his rations. "Still, he's walking on a very thin line."
"I seriously doubt he cares if he's on a thin line Private." Stacker responded with a small sigh. "Ten-to-one says he tries to interrupt the peace talks."
The Chief gave a rare smile. "And we would have to be idiots to accept that bet."
Stacker cursed under his breath. "Damn, I thought I made an easy hundred bucks."
The Chief shook his head as his ears picked up what Stacker said. "I hear that you know." Stacker only shrugged in response.
-Scene Change-
The Arbiter paced her room like an animal as she contemplated her next move. "Come on you can think of something!" She said to herself. "All it takes is for you to go to him and tell him." She snorted. "Easier said than done."
"Then just tell him my daughter." Her father said from the door and she was startled out of her routine.
"It's not that simple father; he's not even part of our species." The Arbiter replied as her father sat on her bed.
"When has anything ever stopped you from doing what you want?" Her father asked curiously.
"Apparently now something does and it's a big one." She said warily. "He would never accept this."
"Daughter, I have spent many long years in the political ring and there is always a way to make people accept what you want them to." he said as he rubbed his mandibles.
"Politics won't help me here." she huffed angrily. "I'm a warrior not a politician."
Her father shook his head. "I am not talking about politics but that is one path you could go. What I am saying is that you can use words to give someone an impression of a path you want them to take."
The Arbiter gave her father her attention. "And how am I suppose to do that? According to his AI, the only thing he knows is protecting humanity at any cost."
Her father gave a knowing smile. "And that is where you can give him an impression of where their best interests lie."
The Arbiter's face scrunched up. 'He protects humanity and hasn't been afraid to take a plasma round for them. His mission was…..is to defend humanity at any cost, even if it means his own thoughts.' she thought intensely. 'He protects humanity and will give up his…..own…..' she stopped as realization dawned on her. 'Make it seem like this would be in the best interest of humanity for him to accept! He gets cornered and his own training would make enforce the opinion.'
"I see you understand now." her father said as she nodded.
"It's a low and underhanded move though, I am not sure my pride could handle that." she said quietly as her father put an arm around her.
"Sometimes the best way isn't the easiest or the right way but sometimes there isn't another way." he replied sadly.
"I understand….." she replied uncertainly.
"That's my girl…..your mother would be proud of you." he replied as he got up and walked to the door.
"Tell me one thing." She said quietly and he stopped. "Why did you do it?"
Her father looked down and let some tears fall. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Was all he said before he walked out.
The Arbiter watched him go and couldn't find a retort. She narrowed her eyes at her now empty doorway. 'Something is wrong with this. What happened while I was away at training?'
-Scene Change-
It was late in the day and the Chief was returning to his room when he found the Arbiter leaning against the wall in front of the door. "I was wondering when you would show up Spartan."
"You were waiting for me?" he asked as she nodded.
"I was wondering if you wished to walk with me?" she asked hesitantly.
The Chief regarded her for a minute, as if he was deciding if she was joking or not. "Alright, I don't see why not."
The Arbiter nodded and began to walk away and the Chief followed. The walked for a while in silence, the only sound came from the sounds of their footsteps through the hall.
"You want something don't you?" The Chief asked suddenly as they stopped in front of a window.
The Arbiter flinched but she held out. "I do but going about it isn't easy."
"What is it?" The Chief asked bluntly.
The Arbiter gulped. "If you had to engage in certain activities to secure humanity's future…..would you accept it knowing that you would be required to give up your own feelings?"
The Chief nodded without hesitation. "My mission has always been humanity's survival at any cost."
"So then if you had to accept a life partner, you would do it?" she asked as she tensed up.
"A life partner?" The Chief asked questioningly
"A mate…..or a wife as you humans call it." The Arbiter responded.
The Chief narrowed his eyes. "My duty comes before anything."
It was now or never. "I have challenged your opponent to a duel."
"And?" The Chief asked.
The Arbiter sighed. "If I win then I will have earned the right to be your life partner. In order to help bring our alliance together, I am challenging you for the right to be your mate."
The Chief prided himself on never being able to be shocked or stunned and he lived by that. He didn't even flinch when it came to the flood or when he faced a brute in hand-to-hand combat. For some reason, that one statement made his eyes go wide and his brain to stop.
And cut! Well that was a hoot; the Arbitress had finally revealed it and the Chief is stunned speechless. What did he just step into now? Find out next time.
I hope you all like the chapter and like I said, I am trying not to make them too OOC but things have to give and the Chief is learning to open himself up and it had shown throughout the story so far. Next chapter we get to the meet and greet and the Arbiter faces down her friend once more.
Stay tuned and I hope you all enjoy the double header! Happy Holidays and see you all in 2015!