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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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"Monkey sees..."

October 25 2525 - Hour 1432

Minor Thela 'Vadamee

Covenant CPV-Class Destroyer ', ?

"You shall see and you shall learn. You should never underestimate a foe due to their rank, their arrogance, their reluctance or even what kind of race they are. Everyone has their honor, or lack of- hence why you shall thrive only when you shall see your flaws and rectify those through vision and experience of a stronger self-growth, Thela."

That speech back then... It made little sense. How could a Jiralhanae have honor? A Kig-Yar? Or even an Unggoy?

It sounded so absurd to believe that she was meant to look outside of those that she was brethren to. To be fair, Sangheilis weren't exactly the best example to learn from when you were born a female and you were trying to achieve a military career. That was another detail that the Wise Lak had told her about. She couldn't expect things as many males her race, just as she couldn't expect the same requirement of promotions like the others. She was stuck in a difficult position, but not one she was unable to get through. Maybe it was her fortitude as Lak mentioned back in Sanghelios, or perhaps it was something that was born from what she saw... just recently.

Thela couldn't even blink as she got to see the footage of the humiliating defeat they suffered. Of the shame brought forth by the Ship Master of the Servitude. From the beginning to the end, her gaze caught every single detail available through the recovered video. It was long, it was intense- her eyes were wide open as she followed the path taken by the single individual that decimated groups of Covenant troops and then used the Servitude as a projectile to destroy the Battlecruiser that had come to reinforce their garrison before they had to leave for other operations. The majestic explosion of blue plasma which tore into the much larger ship was what awed and disgusted the mass of fellow Sangheilis around her and beyond, but Thela found another element worth of study. The human himself, which they would also learn was a simple rookie within the Human military, had displayed a form of advanced discipline that seemed so absurdly precise and driven by a form of passion that sounded similar to what many of the elders in Sanghelios would preach about the warriors of the old.

But what drove the little human to fight? What pushed him to try and then succeed? Honor? Humans were heretics by nature, so they would lack honor regardless of what hints of it there could be in their grace. No, she was looking at the wrong element- through the wrong lenses too. The human fought with a form of different honor. The kind of honor that was familiar to the oldest families since it was tied to their humble beginnings. From when some were slaves and thieves. One look at the 'Vadam family, and Thela remembered about the times she was told of Ther 'Vadam and his inspiring mission. She found parallels, which deeply confused and disturbed her. A human mirrored a situation with the same odds as her ancestor?

It was there where Lak's words were returned to her. And when she looked back at the 'peak' of that situation. It wasn't the beginning, it wasn't the end- it was the death of the Ship Master and the brutal descent that saw the human savagely destroy who could have been considered a fierce warrior. Panic, dread and... unwillingness to die. The capacity to muster more than the best for the sake of survival. The human tapped into that inner strength not many would have been able to muster and... actually keep calm in that moment of fear. And yes, she knew what she saw with those precise hits right on the same spots, the human having realized that he had to focus his strikes in a way the shields cracked faster at the onslaught before ultimately murdering the Ship Master.

Sheer ferocity was also what ensued shortly after. The two Advisors had jumped to try and contain the threat. They could have overwhelmed him due to how inferior his frame was to the healthy looking Sangheilis rushing at him... but the human stood victorious. He studied their moves, tracked their pace and then... struck when they were the most open to him. A fierce nature that left her a bit breathless... as she had just gained an idea she thought risky but feasible now that she spotted a 'common point' with the 'heretic': they were both slender and slimmer than male Sangheili. Sure, Thela was less in that department, but it would be futile to deny she was the fastest compared to most of her peers.

Hence why she plotted a plan to acquire respect... and something else. She took two days-worth of free time to meditate and train. She meditated to sharpen her spirit and fortitude in preparation for the plan, while her training shifted to mimic the human in his actions when it came to sword-fighting. 'Allow your enemies to be bold, and then strike when they are in reach and without the means to react.'

She understood one element not many her race could accept: The path to one's improvement, is a path of humbleness and cunningness. And for her, a female in a world primarily dominated by males, it was only right to rely on crafty ways to show how dangerous she was if treated upsettingly.

The Ship Master of the Epiphany would be called two hours after Thela started her plan. It was one of his advisors that alarmed him that a 'brawl' had ensued in the ship's canteen. What he would then learn after arriving at the epicenter of the chaos was completely different, and in a way even direr than expected. Thela held back a huff when she saw him approach her. She was sitting on a chair nearby, alone... as two corpses lay down on the floor, blue blood splattered over the ground. Wounds left behind by Energy Sword, hers, as she ended up pulled in a duel. She might have 'coaxed' the two Majors to try and challenge her, but she knew the rules. And so did the Ship Master as he knew he had no standing ground to administer a punishment. Not when the footage favored her side of the story. She was challenged by the two and she won against them.

Duels were strictly limited due to the way those were once used by many in the military to rise in rank. It was still a process that was used for that, but there were a few rules to make it impossible to become too common. Only a winner of a lower rank to the loser's would receive a promotion. And only a challenger of a higher rank compared to the challenged party could request a duel. Which is why Thela's circumstance was safely protected by the very individual that distrusted her skill. For the Ship Master now knew that, if two Majors were unable to keep up with a 'mere Minor', then that Minor was one to keep an eye on. And she intended to make use of that 'attention' as much as possible to reach higher titles in the name of her family... and herself.

The next day, the now-Major Thela pondered what to do next. Should she try for more duels? No, she already got enough attention to set her up for a horrible demise at the Ship Master's hands. Maybe ask for a re-assignment and be put in serious operations? It was a possibility, but not one she could rely on for the moment. No, she knew she had to bid her time for now. She got a promotion this early on and without relying on her family's name.

It was her first victory, both militarily and politically, but not one that should make her bold enough to seek an arrogant route for success. She had to keep humble and be patient. To be prepared for everything and show her enemies that her honor wasn't just the one of her Clan, but also hers. A female, a warrior like them, could stand a fight and easily win with enough preparation.

So she waited, and plotted. Ambitions were still part of her humble nature, especially when those weren't driven by green. She sought those for honesty, as her skills claimed her to be atop others. But it would take time for those to manifest. She was still obstacled by some traditions and... foolish members of her kin that weren't exactly happy for her success. A pity, she didn't plan to lose to them. Still, her thoughts would always lead up to a wave of praise. One aimed to her enemy as she accepted the idea that the human, without knowing, had taught her something important. And Thela wasn't one that would ever miss out the chance of thanking her benefactors in due time with her own growth and success.

I will have to thank that human... with a proper death.

AN

What's worse than an Apex Predator? A predator that evolves to kill said Apex Predator by using its own skills against it. Still, a little break from Human's POV since I really wanted to give a proper 'insight' on what are the repercussions for what happened in Harvest to the possibly Future Arbiter's mind.