Seven - The Arbiter
Four years previously
The frigate spun out of control as half of the ship exited hyperspace following the jump from the Ark. At the human ship's controls, the large Sangheili struggled to control the vessel "this is Arbiter Thel'Vadam of the Sangheili I am on board the human vessel Forward Unto Dawn, to any human or Sangheili vessel, I need assistance!" He called into the ship's communication system he had no idea where he was in the galaxy "repeating this message, I am Arbiter Thel'Vadam of the…" the Arbiter's second call for assistance was interrupted as the vessel slammed into the atmosphere of a planet and began to roll out of control.
Forcing himself backwards into the chair Thel'Vadam chose to ride out the crashing ship he maximized his armour's shields and secured himself the best he could as the ship continued to fall through the atmosphere. The Arbiter was impressed by toughness of the ship but he was concerned, half of the ship was missing, neither the Demon or Cortana had made it through the Hyperspace jump. From his position within the ship the Arbiter triggered the ship's remaining retro-rockets attempting to slow the descent, within a few moments the rockets stuttered to a stop and the ship continued to spin out of control towards the sea below.
The last several hundred metres passed in minutes as the ship spiralled out of control and slammed into the planet's sea. The wreck of the Forward Unto Dawn skipped across the water creating a bow wave before slowly beginning to sink into the depths below. Within the remains of the sealed hull the Arbiter released himself from the seat restraints and made his way through the corridors. Luckily for him human ships had been designed specifically to allow Spartans and loader exoskeletons as well as regular crew so he had no issues making his way to an airlock.
With water rushing into the ship the power had stuttered out with no power Thel'Vadam drew his energy sword and cut his way through the door. The Sangheili race was stronger than a human and a match for the Spartans but even he could not prise open an air-tight door. As the ship filled with water it began to sink quicker the damage his sword had done to the door caused it to burst open, the flow of the water forced the Arbiter back into the ship but he dragged himself back along the corridor and out of the wreck.
Dragging himself along the hull the Arbiter got far enough away from the flow of water heading into the Dawn and slowly but surely, he began to swim to the surface leaving the ship behind. The Sangheili breached the surface of the sea, the waves were calm but it was night and there was little in the way of markers, he could see the coastline and he swam to the riverbank. With no obvious sign of civilisation, the Arbiter found a small cave and took shelter for the night, inside he had the first sleep for what felt like months.
In the morning, he awoke to an alien landscape the water was black even during the day, looking into it he could not even see the wreck of the Forward Unto Dawn. In the immediate are there was sparse vegetation and large boulders everywhere, every now and then he saw small four-legged reptilian animals moving between the vegetation and around the rocks. On the far coast of the far he could see a crystalline structure while the sky was a purple and green colour with lighting strikes streaking across the sky and into the distant ground, this world was like nothing he had seen before. "Demon, I hope you have found your own salvation" he growled looking up into the sky "I now must find my own way." With no access to the wreck which had taken him to this world he now only had access to his armour, his energy sword attached to the thigh, a Vostu-pattern carbine, and an Okarda'phaa-patter plasma rifle both on his armour's back.
For the next month the Arbiter hunted small animals for food and explored around the coast of the sea as far as the crystalline structure it had not been easy, Sangheili liked full meals of freshly caught food but this planet had a severe lacking in large prey, they also liked feeling the warmth of the sun on their skin but with this thick purple green sky he felt no warmth at all. During his exploring he found signs of habitation in several caves and several ruined structures, finally he decided to take up residence in one of the cabins using parts from other structures to provide him with shelter. It was little better than the cave he had stayed in on the first night he had been on the planet but it was his. One morning he sat at the front of the shelter reflecting on his life he had grown up as a Sangheili warrior, he had been trained by the some of the best warriors of his people and quickly enlisted into the Covenant joining the holy war against humanity. Their enemies had fought well but the Covenant were technologically superior and rarely were they defeated in space or on a planet's surface quickly Thel'Vadam rose to the rank of Fleet Commander, commanding dozens of ships and thousands of Covenant.
And then Halo had been found and the Demon had been encountered, finally after all his years of fighting he had known defeat. The destruction of the Halo and several of his ships had humbled Thel'Vadam and the Hierarchs, then leaders of the Covenant, had punished him turning him into their Arbiter. The position of Arbiter originated with the Sangheili people, it had been a position of honour and leadership, until an Arbiter had led an uprising against a decision made by the Hierarchs. When he had become the Arbiter, the position was one that was sent on suicide missions at the behest of the Hierarchs, every dead Arbiter was a message to the Sangheili that they served at the Covenant's whim.
Then he had met the Gravemind, the Demon, Commander Miranda Keys and Sargeant Major Johnstone. The opinions, the actions of the three humans, of the Flood consciousness as well as the actions of the Hierarchs during their misguided attempts to fire the Halo rings had changed the Arbiter's philosophy and beliefs. He knew that the Hierarchs had been wrong and he knew he their actions had turned the Sangheili against them. Looking into the sky of this strange world he hoped that even with his absence that his people would be brave enough to travel the new path that he had turned them onto. For him he had freedom from the expectations and the responsibilities of his position slowly he reached up with his two hands each with two thumbs and two fingers and he drew the helmet off his head, and he held it in front of his eyes and he contemplated what the armour meant to him now. He had no idea how long he had sat there staring at the helmet but it was dark before he realised.
Suddenly from nowhere he heard a sound unlike any other he had head of in the last month of being on this world. Placing the helmet on his head again his HUD returned and suddenly he was aware of an energy signature that he had not encountered before. Turning he left the shelter and ran towards it, this was the first sign of life beyond him and some small mammals, the first sign of something that could get him off the planet. As he ran on his back-canted digitigrade legs the Arbiter was shocked when he saw six humanoid signatures appear on his HUD before the energy signature disappeared, he activated the active camouflage built into his suit to the naked eye the Arbiter was invisible, he could move as if he were a shadow and any sound, he made was suppressed.
As he closed on the signatures, he hid in some shrubs just as his cloak failed, the Arbiter's armour was old he could not stay invisible forever, using the shrubs he drew his carbine and aimed through the sights and he could see six white robed figures. Each of them looked like they were human but the robes covered their heads and bodies completely they stood in front of what looked like a large round metal ring which was more than tall enough for even the largest pair of Mgalekgolo could walk through together, he had never come this far and had not encountered the ring before, he had no idea what its function. In front of the ring there was a small podium which appeared to have dozens of symbols on it.
The six figures began to walk off to the right of the ring the active camouflage had recharged so the Arbiter followed them at a distance using the terrain in between active camouflage uses. He followed the group as they slowly walked through the undergrowth to the coast of the sea. The six figures stopped at the edge of the water and, hidden by the active camouflage, the Arbiter watched as each of them opened small vials and poured what looked like ash, each of them was talking as they poured out the ash and then there was several moments of silence before they turned around and started heading back towards the ring. The Arbiter remained unseen as he had before this time when the group arrived back at the ring, they appeared to press several buttons on the podium he had seen before. After the seventh button had been pressed there was a sudden 'whoosh' as the water-like pool of water filled the ring the Arbiter was startled for a moment but then shocked as the six figures began to walk towards the puddle, taking a chance he sprinted forward passing through the puddle just after the last person.
There were lights, a tunnel and suddenly he emerged out the other side just steps behind the six figures. The sky was no longer purple and green instead it was bright blue with birds in the sky, the ground was covered in green and yellow vegetation and instead of large boulders there were trees in full bloom. Between the trees there were larger mammals moving around some on their own and some in herds, "what?" He remarked shocked, he must have been heard as the robed figures began looking around with his active camouflage charge running out, he darted to the side diving into some shrubbery. The figures turned to the noise of the rustled bushes but a small deer-like animal walked out in place of the Arbiter which he hoped would dissuade the robed figures, seeing the six figures the animal ran off.
With an animal appeasing their curiosity they began to move off heading through the undergrowth the Arbiter shadowed the group until they arrived at a small village with wooden homes which had roofs made of green and yellow vegetation. They had animals in pends and crops growing in what looked like growing gardens, he saw children playing they were clearly human, as the robed figures approached the children ran to them and each of the robed figures removed their hoods showing that each of them were human as well.
Although he had no idea how he had come to this world, and he was sure that this was a different world everything including the sky was different, he was glad it appeared there were more opportunities here than there were on the other planet. If anyone was going search for him it would probably be harder to track him down here but at least here he had a chance of survival there was prey to hunt and, in the sky, at least during the day there was a very warm sun which already after a short amount of time was making a difference.
For the next two months the Arbiter explored this new planet, he intentionally avoided the town which the humans had headed to he had also avoided a second town which he had encountered, both towns appeared to have between fifty and one hundred humans of all ages. This world was a complete different than the previous planet, a pleasant climate and he had been able to hunt many animals and there was plentiful shelter. During his exploring he had discovered a veritable oasis with plenty of prey, fruit, and a hot spring far from the human settlement, the Arbiter took the opportunity and striped out of the armour bathing in the water while the sun beat down on him.
As he laid in the water, he picked up a familiar scent off to his right-hand side but he made no move as it closed on him. "Human, you do not have to be afraid, I mean you no harm" he said in English, the only human language he knew.
"You speak our language…" A female human figure said as she stepped out of the undergrowth. She had long blonde-brown hair she wore a brown top and wore a flowing skirt and held a long spear in her right hand. On the dark belt she had around her waist she had a pair of knifes and a small axe.
"I have known people of your race in the past" he said she had the spear in her hand but she was not threatening. On the side of the hot spring his carbine, plasma rifle, deactivated energy sword and armour all sat none were within arms distance but he was sure he could reach it if he needed to. "I have fought with and against your race on many worlds."
"Where do you come from?" She asked kneeling down laying her spear on the ground. "Through the ancient ring?"
"Ancient ring?" He asked honestly not knowing what to call the device he used to come here "I followed some humans and travelled through a tunnel from one world to this one, this is a far more pleasant world." He explained
"You came from our birth world" she said startled "but you did not come from there?"
"No, my ship crashed on that world" the Arbiter answered "I saw no human life there until there suddenly was some, and so I followed them, I am now here." He explained as if that were the full story, she did not appear afraid of him, more curious.
"I have never seen someone quite like you" she said "I am Robyn of the Curisar, this world is known to us a Curis."
"I am Thel'Vadam, the Arbiter of the Sangheili" he explained "I mean no harm to your people, my conflict with humanity is long done, I am just looking for peace."
"You could come to my village?" She suggested smiling as the Arbiter moved slowly across the pool of water closer to his gear but he made no movements towards his weapons, Robyn appeared more curious than anything else. She turned her back as the Arbiter began to pull himself out of the water.
"Would I not concern your people?" he asked as he covered his modesty with the armour of the Arbiter. "I have intentionally stayed away from your people to not concern them."
"I'm sure some would be concerned but you have lived here for some time and caused us no harm." She said turning as the Arbiter pulled the helmet of his armour back on, "wow…" Robyn exclaimed stepping backwards as she saw him standing to his full height, he was far more intimidating in his full armour.
"I have no interest in causing trouble for your people, my fight is far from here, I do not need to start another one." He said "this world is large, I can continue on my own" he offered.
"No-one should have to live alone just because of what people think, at least you're not a Wraith… are you?" she asked the way she said the world he could tell that it was with fear and concern as they walked together through the undergrowth.
"What is a Wraith?" The Arbiter asked remaining in the water
"It's a race that feeds off of humanity, they have suckers in their hands which suck the life out of us." She explained the Arbiter raised his three fingered hand showing her his palm "they have not visited this world since before I was born."
"I am no threat to you" he repeated "I am here simply to survive."
"You should come to our settlement" Robyn suggested "then you could do more than survive." She could see he was hesitant "what do you have to lose?" She asked he laughed his split lips spread wide she stepped back.
"Thank you" he said calming down moving across the water he began to hoist himself out she turned away allowing him to dress and maintain his modesty. Several minutes later he stepped up beside her and Robyn was even more surprised looking up at the massive alien, the Arbiter in his armour easily stood over almost nine feet tall.
They walked for a short time before arriving in the small settlement all the houses were made from wood, mud, and stone. On seeing Robyn and the Arbiter approach the towns people scattered running for their homes all except one man. He stood in the centre of the town and was dressed in a brown leather outfit with a long coat. "Walter, this is Thel'Vadam he's an Arbiter" she said introducing the large alien to the man "Arbiter, this is Walter the leader of our settlement."
"I am the Arbiter of the Sangheili" he said bowing his head even then he stood over both humans that he stood beside.
"Nice, to meet you" he replied looking at the large warrior "how did you get here…" he asked for the next hour or more the Arbiter explained how he had fought against and with humanity in a great galaxy spanning war, like Robyn she had not heard of his race or the Covenant. He wondered how this world was so closed off compared to the other human worlds he had visited and how the Covenant had not come across the "Ancient Ring" before. He explained how the ship he and one known as the Demon had crashed on an inhospitable world and how he had been the only survivor and then he had travelled to this world following humans. As they spoke other members of the settlement came out of their hiding places realising that the Arbiter was not a threat to them.
For six months Thel'Vadam lived among the people of Curisar, which he had found that the people called their world, he had met the people from other settlements on the world and learned that none of them knew of his race. During his time with the people, he had used his size and knowledge to help them build and design stronger buildings and static defences based on Covenant designs. He had also spent time telling stories of the Sangheili, the Covenant, the Prophets, the Great Journey that he had been duped into believing and in the Demon, who had corrected his path, and the brave people of Earth who had fought insurmountable odds. Many nights were spent in the newly designed and built town hall with the people listening to stories with many travelling from settlements around to listen to him speak. In exchange the people had taught him how to use the Stargate and introduced him to many of the systems which they traded with; they had also taken him back to the world which the Forward Unto Dawn had crashed onto but there was no sign that anyone that come searching for him.
While he had no use for it the Arbiter maintained his armour keeping it in prime condition. He successfully had rigged it to charge both his plasma rifle and plasma sword but he had found the carbine more troublesome. Modern Sangheili commander armour had subroutines built into them which manufactured carbine ammunition overtime ensuring that a Sangheili warrior never ran out of ammunition but his armour was old and lacked these sub-routines.
"Argh" he sighed annoyed yet another attempt failed, he put the armour chest piece down on the wooden table and leaned it tired of the failures. He had adopted local clothing and wore a specially made cream top over his grey skin and brown bottoms.
"What's wrong?" Robyn asked from the doorway "still having trouble with that?"
"Yes, it would make hunting a lot easier if we had plentiful ammunition." He suggested looking up at her.
"Well, we have plenty of these" she said lifting two spears from the door way tossing him one, the Arbiter easily caught the flying wooden spear with his outstretched arm. "I was going to go hunting, wish to join?"
"Yes" he nodded leaving the armour on the table, he knew no-one in the village would go near it and he did not need it to hunt the local wildlife. Just in case they did encounter something they could not handle he walked over to another table and picked up a local made leather belt which he had modified adding a holster for his plasma rifle.
"Why do you always take that thing?" She asked as he connected it around his thin waist.
"I am a Sangheili, it would be improper for me to go into battle ill-prepared." He answered
"We are going hunting, there will be no battle…" she tried to explain but the Arbiter raised his hand forestalling further comment, they had this conversation before. "…I know any fight can turn into a battle." She said in a deep voice imitating him before laughing the two of them walking out of the town both carrying several long wooden spears.
For hours they hunted the local wildlife, for the Arbiter there was not a great challenge but he did like the taste of a yellow furred herd animal that stood on six legs. It was also fun prey making him move quickly and carefully, especially without his armour. Sometimes the animal could survive several spear strikes.
He and Robyn had a strategy she would sneak through the undergrowth and at close range she would strike one of the herds with one of her spears. The spear would not be nearly enough to fell the animal but it would be enough to mark the beast and cause the entire herd to run. Further away the Arbiter was waiting. Even without his armour the Sangheili was taller and had superior eyesight to any human and he could see where the wounded animal was as the herd approached. He was also a skilled warrior and had the strength to throw the wooden spear at far further a distance and with more force than any human. With a single swing of his arm, he threw the hunting spear through the air, it flew quickly striking the animal on its back. The spear's metal tip stuck in its back briefly before falling out, even injured the animal continued to run, with it continuing to move the Arbiter ran on his powerful legs breaking into the herd he leapt up onto the beast's back pulling the second spear from his back he drove the weapon into its back driving it deep.
This animal was strong even after three blows, a spear stuck in its back and with the Arbiter riding on its back the animal was still running with his herd. With his spears used the Arbiter resorted to drawing the plasma rifle from his belt firing several bolts into the beast's head. The superheated plasma burst burned through the animal's skin and bone in seconds quickly burning away its brain killing it instantly. Muscle memory and momentum caused the beast to continue several steps before losing its footing before slamming into the ground with the Arbiter rolling off its back and then across the ground before coming back onto his feet.
"That was cheating" Robyn said running to catch up with him "you said that was for battle." She said pointing at the blue plasma rifle in his hands.
"The greatest battle is the one against hunger." He said completely seriously but Robyn knew him well enough to know when Thel'Vadam was joking and he knew she understood what he meant. They spent some more time hunting killing another beast which would feed the settlement once they returned, but first Robyn led the Arbiter through the undergrowth and he was surprised to find the hot spring that they had first met in.
Robyn approached the pool and stripped her clothes off slipping into the bubbling water "it's nice" she said relaxing in the water "come, after a hunt you should relax." She suggested turning her back, she knew from their talks Sangheili did not like being looked at without clothing by other races, but she also knew the heat was irresistible to him the Arbiter did not need further encouragement and removed his top, followed by his belt and lower clothing before slipping into the water. She turned and looked at him and smiled as the two enjoyed the warmth.
"Thel, did you leave behind a mate?" She asked looking over at him the large Sangheili looked up and over at her.
"Many years ago," he said in a low growl "she left me when I was dishonoured" he explained "I have been fighting ever since, an Arbiter does not have a life, my life has been a fight until now." He continued "with humanity, the heretics, the Flood and the Covenant I have had no choice but to keep fighting."
"Until now" she said moving around the pool so she was beside him Thel'Vadam raised an arm and allowed her body to touch his, among other Sangheili this would be taboo for another race to touch their bare flesh but he was a long way from others of his people.
"Until now" he admitted "you do know our races are not compatible…" he said in a quiet rumble, "not physically at least…" he said moving his head towards her.
"I know, you told us, one reason the Hierarchs had issues with humanity was our complete biological differences to your Covenant's races." She said remaining close to him "but it is not your body that interests me dear Arbiter, it is your mind." She explained lifting herself out of the water and kissing him on his smooth head. She then slipped back into the water beside him relaxing in the warm water.