FA+
Shop
708
Views
Views
1
Favorites
Favorites
Category
All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 477 x 246
File Size 19.8 kB
Report this content
More from Chris000
Chapter 14: The Sedna Facility
January 1, 3242, 2020 hours
The Black Bat
The Kuiper Belt, Sol System
Home Universe
It had been over thirty hours since Sally had slept, and that time was starting to catch up to her. She slumped into the copilot's seat of the Black Bat with her third cup of enriched coffee in her hand. She was alone for now, staring at the blackness of Slipspace in front of her. The void was infinite and so black that at a subconscious level it unnerved her, but she chose to shut it out and instead take a pull on the cup, letting the hot liquid within sustain her and drive her to push on for just a few more hours. There had been little time to waste in crossing over to Earth, which had been difficult to do since the reopening of the Jumpgate following what was now being called the '1840 Incident' by military journalists. The Ontario, Bastogne, and the Colorado had simply become the latest in an increasing list of lost vessels that had vanished and never returned on excursions.
Sally tried not to think about who she had lost, but again the faces showed up. Miles, Jolee, Johnson, Ryan...
She banished the thought and tried to think of her current situation.
The Black Bat had set off from Earth on an intrasystem jump, which followed different rules due to the gravitational influences of the planets themselves. Different calculations had to be applied; different physical laws needed to be followed, and in the end, travel time needed to be observed. Sally could swear that subjectively this was taking way more time than needed. What if they had already arrived and their reality had yet to catch up.
Her eyebrows bobbed as she took another sip, contemplating the knots and streams of spacetime.
She was a mess. She could see in the reflection of the viewport that her hair was unkempt, her eyes were bloodshot, and her fur was matted in a few places. She was in no position to present herself to the admiralty, or at the very least Redby, whom she knew liked things squared away. Then again, she wasn't wearing a Marine uniform. She was going as herself. Truly, she didn't give a damn what they thought she looked like.
The computers hummed, chirped, and clicked. She could listen and hear the faintest humming of the Slipspace core of the Black Bat. She closed her eyes and pictured the particles racing around the loops of the drive, smashing into each other and producing energy that people a thousand years ago couldn't have imagined, when nuclear power was just getting its legs; when the moon was the farthest mankind had ever stepped from their doorstep. She was very lucky to live in the time she did.
She heard a noise and her ear twitched. She glanced around and saw Rouge coming through the hatch, a similar cup in her hand. She was in an off duty uniform of an ONI officer: a black turtleneck and tan cargo pants. Her boots were also black and shiny. Sally could note slight puffiness in her sleeves where her wings were tucked away out of sight. She very rarely saw them, and indeed the princess thought the bat-folk in general were kind of self-conscious of them, preferring to have them tucked away when not in use so that they blended in more.
Rouge set her cup down in a holder and rubbed her eyes, sliding behind the main console and tapping several keys.
"How's John?" Sally asked.
"He's fine." Rouge said. "Exercising in the hold. I think he's on five hundred pushups."
"I should go see him." Sally said. "I should talk to him about Requiem."
"No." Rouge said. "The admirals are going to debrief you on that one."
"Why can't I just talk to him? He's only a hundred feet behind me!"
"None of it will make sense without the whole picture, including what you know."
"What do I know exactly?" Sally asked, suddenly annoyed. "I don't know what's going on?"
"Better if you just accept it and wait until they ask the specific questions."
The chipmunk began to rise.
"Go ahead. You know he's not going to say anything to you." Rouge pressed. "You know he's tight lipped. Been that way since we found him on the Dawn."
Sally sighed loudly and sank back into the plush seat. "I know. He never lets anyone in to his world. You think all Spartans were like that in his time?"
"I think John's always been unique."
"Linda must have missed him very much."
Rouge looked at Sally. "You read his file?"
"Sounds like you did too."
Neither said anything for a moment, but the princess broke it first by asking, "How far have you gone in this thing?"
"You mean on a mission?" Rouge asked.
"Mission, treasure hunting, sanctioned thievery, whatever you like to call it. ONI gives you carte blanche to do your thing as long as you take orders from them from time to time?"
"It's not that simple." Rouge said. "I have my orders too. I'm Section 0 for a reason you know. Sometimes I'm out on... business trips, let's call them."
"What sort of business trips?"
Rouge gave a slight smirk. "Trading reports that would be kept off the Slipspace channels, monitoring black projects, doing some long range recon, maybe a little bit of problem solving."
"Uh, 'problem solving'? Sounds like assassination."
"Problem solving covers a wide variety of things." Rouge said. "Oh hell, why not. This was about two years ago. I received orders from a vice admiral, that I shall not name, to go and speak to a deep cover agent that wasn't sending reports to his superiors back in Sydney, yet everybody knew he was alive because of secondary spies. They sent me to check up on him and ask him what was so interesting to keep him from sending his reports."
"Why didn't the other spy talk to him?"
"Deep cover, Highness. ONI had the whole thing planned out. They had this operation running since before Indomitable showed up. The other spy couldn't actually be in real communication with our guy. So I had to infiltrate into where he was working and spoke to him directly."
"Did he know you were a Mobian?"
"No. Bit of a shock for him at first, and I was in disguise for most of those times. He gave me his reasons, and I didn't like them. That is to say Bravo-6 didn't like them. So one day I got orders to cut our losses with him."
"You didn't kill him, did you?"
"No." Rouge said honestly. "My orders were to make it known that there was a spy from a rival faction and that our guy was the one to throw to the wolves. Killing him would have made it too suspicious. Needless to say when I actually told our agent about the plans, he promised he would never leave us out of the loop ever again."
"That's just dickish."
"That's business. We extracted him a year and a half later when he did his job, and now he has a cushy job somewhere. As a reward for putting myself in harm's way multiple times, ONI let slip a little info about a mineral deposit I could use to my advantage. I sold the find to a mining guild, and bought a house on the Amalfi Coast. Haven't been there yet though."
"Amazing." Sally said.
"To answer your question, that was also the farthest I've ever been. This was well outside UEG space, past the Buffer. This is where a bunch of trade republics like to bash heads with one another and occasionally form an empire before collapsing in a century or two. That was perhaps fifteen or sixteen thousand lightyears away."
"Does it ever get lonely?"
Rouge didn't say anything for a long time, but nodded.
Neither of them said anything for some time afterwards, when the console began to light up. "OK, we dropping out now. Hold on to the java."
The darkness vanished in an instant. replaced by an amazing array of stars. Sally was awestruck by the sight at once. They were in the Kuiper Belt; the farthest reaches of the Sol system. Out here, the light from the far distant star was diminished but still present. In the expanse, the purple ribbon of the milky way stretched across the void, bright clouds of gas and dust containing a scattering of stars, otherwise drowned out by the light of Sol.
Sedna stood before it all. Even this far away from the light of the star Sol, it still retained a lit surface. The airless rock in front of them had a red surface, part of the globe caught in the light of the sun was glistening as if it were frozen, and in truth, it was. Everything about this globe was remote, cold, and ignored by greater existence - one large body among many beyond the reaches of the outer Solar system. The women observed this little world before Rouge fired the thrusters to slow their velocity. The ship rumbled ever so slightly. The passengers barely felt the jets firing even though the cones of burning gas were visible at the edges of the craft's body. In truth it barely looked like it did anything at first, but Sally realized that the Black Bat would slowly start swinging closer to the surface of the dwarf world.
She glanced at the instrument panel, showing that their apoapsis had shrunk considerably, coming only a couple hundred kilometers above the pockmarked surface. As soon as their approach was set, the panel showed a blinking light. Rouge pressed it, accepting the call.
"Unidentified craft, you are entering restricted airspace. You are ordered to disengage, alter trajectory, and enter Slipstream on exit vector."
"Sedna Command, Black Bat, tail code Alpha-X-Ray-Five-Seven-Zero-Zero. ID Sig Four-Four-Niner-Seven-One-Zero-Zero-Alpha-Two. Transmitting additional code. Stand by."
She pressed several buttons on the panel, located the source of the signal, attached the standard handshake packet, and fired it off. Silence for ten seconds. The Bat started to tumble, but the RCS systems fired, keeping the craft level.
"Verification complete. Welcome back to Sedna, Black Bat. Stand by for transfer to Echo Tower."
The red ball of Sedna suddenly seemed to start rising up over them. Sally glanced up at the world, counting new craters as they appeared. This world was ancient, and was likely still covered in gas from when it was formed so long ago. She wondered just what this dwarf planet experienced. Sedna had an orbit lasting over 11,000 years. It hadn't even reached the farthest point from the sun since it was discovered back at the dawn of the Twenty-First Century. Not even close.
"Let me do the talking." Rouge breathed. "I've been here before. I know the angles. You are officially here as an attache. You might be an OMEGA, but here ONI's top dog. You do what I say when I say it. Understand?"
Sally pressed her lips together tightly. "Yes." was all she said before sipping the coffee once more. "Why have bases all the way out here? Why not have them closer in-system?"
"Why would you ever put a base on a world that takes more than ten thousand years to orbit all the way out here in the boonies?"
"Who's going to come out here?"
"Bingo." Rouge said, winking. "ONI loves their secrecy."
"Tell me about it."
"ONI Prowler Black Bat, Echo Tower." a new female voice said. "Confirm acknowledgement for override."
"Black Bat acknowledges override, Tower. Wheel's yours."
The stick left the agent's hands, moving on its own. The ONI officers below must have been bringing them in; obviously not trusting their own spy to pilot in on her own. Sally's eyes darted around. Very rarely had she ever been in a situation where a groundside operator would take over a whole ship. What would have happened if they refused the override?"
She didn't think about it as the phantom operator controlled their craft, the fly-by wire systems still engaged. The prowler flipped again so that it was facing the reverse vector of its motion. They also began to roll, small puffs of thrusters flipping them over. The horizon of Sedna had become flatter and flatter, and was now located beneath them. Sally risked a glance at the icy surface. The glare of the sun reflecting off the ground. She could see that there were small installations built into the ground. They perhaps a few miles wide at most encompassing a few prefabricated surface buildings, satellite dishes, or a few domes that she supposed were some sort of scanning equipment. Every now and again they flew over a complex of tanks, pipes and scaffolding that may have been a refinery. Soon though the engines fired in earnest, this time at full throttle. She shook in her seat as the Black Bat was brought to a near stand-still. Her teeth rattled in her skull for nearly a full minute of braking. Soon though they started dropping towards what she now saw was a sprawling base, with taller buildings, large dishes, and small craft darting around in the air. On the surface, small rovers moved slowly but surely. One caught air and practically soared through vacuum, bouncing on generous suspension as it hit the dirt.
"Black Bat stand by. Touchdown in three, two.."
The ship bounced as the landing gear made contact with the surface.
"Touchdown. Welcome back to Sedna. Initiating remote engine disengage. Returning control to operator."
The pad began to sink into the ground, lowered on a giant elevator. The stars above were only visible through a long shaft. Even this was blocked from view by giant doors that shut every now and again. Two minutes later, the lift stopped softly, but with finality.
Rouge unclipped her harness and stepped up, making sure to take generous gulps of her drink. "Make sure you drink as much as you can. They never serve any good coffee here. Even the beer's nasty."
"I don't drink beer." Sally said, unclipping her own seat restraints.
"Then you're not going to fit in here."
"That's too bad."
The exterior was pressurized gradually, and the pair emerged from the craft by the gangplank exit. The base had a comfortable 1g pull compared to the exterior. Sally could feel that she was comfortable in this environment, even though as she slipped out of the Black Bat's own gravity generation she could feel a momentary queasiness before her stomach settled.
Behind them, John had silently joined, suited up in his suit of MJOLNIR armor, as was his custom. John didn't like to leave his armor unattended and would wear it even without real reason to do so in a formal environment. Even among other Spartans he insisted on this. Sally could not understand it. For all either the princess or the agent could tell, he was communicating with Cortana within his suit, remaining eerily silent to the outside world.
The instant that the trio passed through the airlocks leading to the landing pad, Sally was assailed once more by the ONI aesthetic that she had grown so comfortable with - stark white corridors with black tiling and wall detail. They must have been several dozen meters below the ground, yet the hallways were as elegant as they were back on Earth. She was immediately reminded of the Bravo-6 facility that she had the misfortune of visiting on more than one occasion, the first of which was under less than favorable conditions indeed. However, unlike the facility in Sydney, the hallways were far more narrow and segmented, betraying the fact that they were prefabricated and modular. Even ONI had to consider the limitations of building on another planetary body like this.
They hadn't gone far past the airlock when a man in a uniform, tie, and cap met them. Two stars were clipped on his shoulders.
"Admiral on deck." John declared, hand snapping to his armored temple. Rouge copied the gesture just as quickly. Sally however was a civilian now and wasn't bound by the same rules. Regarless, out of sheer habit, the hand came up.
Rear Admiral Hugh Redby strode gracefully up to them, came to a position of attention, and saluted back. "I think ceremony can wait for this one. Glad you all could make it on short notice. Spartan, Commander, Highness."
He addressed them all in turn. Sally had forgotten on more than one occasion that Rouge actually outranked her technically. This was one of those times, and a quick glance at the three golden bars stitched onto her shoulder reinforced the rank envy that she felt every single time. Why had she insisted on capping at an E-9?
She knew why; she wanted her Human to have say in combat. She had read his record the instant they had been assigned as Protector, and later commanding field officer of OMEGA. She knew that in battle he would have had the experience needed to succeed. But now things were different. Her experience now outstripped his own.
She wondered how Christopher would have tackled the Legion? She thought he probably would have ended up drawing a blank. This sort of warfare was not something he had ever experienced. Not even his experience with Overlander Marauders nor Forerunners seemed comparable to what Kintobor's walking bombs had thrown at her. Not even surviving a nuclear explosion could prepare him for this cruelty.
So she had remained as a Sergeant Major. The highest an NCO could get without special appointment. Though now she technically had no rank. She was dressed as a civilian. The bat-woman would get special intel before her. Why didn't she apply for a promotion when she had the chance? Why didn't they just give her the clearance?
In her circular thoughts, she wandered and sometimes strayed from a straight line. John could tell and saved her from running into a side support, gently steering her away by the shoulder. She didn't even notice as her mind was burdened by minutia.
Why had they drawn her out to this speck on the edge of the solar system? What was so important that they weren't even allowed to pilot their own ship down to the surface? What was so important that they had to walk through halls specifically designed to drive a man mad?
Once again, John intervened as they turned a corner. This time, the Spartan spoke.
"You alright?"
"Hmm?" Sally asked, the spell now broken. "I was just thinking."
"I could see that."
Another turn, but the princess made it easily.
"John, can I ask you a question?"
He made a motion that could have been a nod, but she didn't seem a hundred-percent certain of it. She spoke anyway, "Are you ever bothered about being left in the dark?"
The answer was immediate. "No."
"Never?"
"Never." the Human responded. "We do our job. We trust in our orders. We don't complain."
"Is it just a Spartan thing, or do you think people in particular should feel that way?"
There was a beat, but he said, "Yes."
Rouge spoke next. Sally was only vaguely aware that she was listening to everything she said. "I need you to go into this with no preconceptions. This is not something I just want to throw out there."
"Bullshit." She casually cursed. "Tell me everything, and tell me now."
The Spartan spoke once more. "If you aren't going to listen to her, then listen to me."
She tried to make eye contact with the gold visor, but failed to do so. Good god, maybe she was going crazy.
Redby cleared his throat. "The next section is heavily guarded. You are not to speak of anything you see beyond, highness. I needed a near majority of signatures from the Security Council to add you to the list of approved entrances."
"Who didn't vouch for me? China?"
Redby attempted a smile. His lined face betrayed that it was only a pleasantry.
They passed through four doors. The first two were guarded by military police officers, their inverted chevrons indicating that they were Army NCOs. The third door was guarded by black armored ONI security personnel, affectionately known as 'Midnighters' because of that and the unrelieved white faceplate that when viewed from the right angle, looked a bit like a crescent moon. Finally, the last door was guarded by a pair of armed Spartans, both toting cut down semi-automatic shotguns. Though Sally wouldn't consider herself a master gunsmith, she could tell that the actions were modified based on the exposed portions of the bolt. She would have bet any money that these weapons had hair triggers and quicker mechanics to spray double-aught buck down the fifteen foot chamber in the blink of an eye.
The Spartans' amor was angular and betrayed an air of eerie mystery that awakened a primal fear in the base of her skull - a vestigial response a thousand or two generations back when her ancestors climbed from trees and fled at the merest hint of a threat. The helmets were boxy things with no indications that the thing inside was Human. They could have been robots for all she knew. Were it not for nametags painted in smart white on their breasts, or the Senior Chief Petty Officer ranks on their shoulders, she would have assumed so. They were impossibly still. They betrayed no motion whatsoever, and that frightened her. She glanced at John. She knew what the man looked like underneath that armored exterior. She knew his face. These men were complete mysteries. This must have been what John's enemies saw before they died.
Redby raised an ID badge to the SCPO on the left. Suddenly the Spartan was animated, his body loosening and head moving before the ID was confirmed. He snapped to and his trigger hand snapped to his helmet.
"Welcome back, Admiral." the Spartan said in an overly nasally voice.
Sally entertained the thought of a Spartan needing rhinoplasty. It was the first smile of the day.
The final door opened just as quickly and silently as the others. It revealed an elevator car.
Sally was confused. She didn't understand the need for such security involving an elevator, but after the car started to descend, it occurred to her that there was something very secret waiting at the bottom. She lost track of how long they were within the car, possibly a minute at the very least.
Nobody spoke. Redby kept his eyes forward towards the door and Rouge did the same. As for John, who knew where he was staring.
The only indication of the stop was a slight ping from the elevator's computer. The doors slid apart.
"He's in here." Redby said. "Down the hall. We'll bring him in for you."
"Who's 'he'?" the princess asked. "What's going on?"
John gave her a slight tug on the arm. She freed herself quickly and followed the Spartan, furious at the secrecy. However, the next room she saw was some sort of meeting chamber with high ceilings and vaulted corridors far too big for such a space. Massive computer screens dominated the walls that displayed maps of the Sol system, with one in particular showing a map of the Milky Way galaxy with several bubbles of red. Sally believed that these were conflict areas that the UNSC had found itself in - wars that had popped up that needed attention. Most she realized were beyond UEG-controlled space. In the very center of the galaxy was a massive red dot with lines of text streaming alongside it.
It was cold in here, but not too frigid; possibly to keep the people that were to meet around the disk of dark wood on their toes. The lighting was excellent around the table, but poor enough around the edges of the room to conceal the Spartans standing in alcoves, hands behind their backs, midnight armor helping them blend into the black panelling. She took a deep breath, trying to parse anything from the air, but it was as sterile as the interior design, almost like a hospital.
Despite the chairs that were obviously meant to hold far more than were present, only four other people were in the room. Besides Redby, she only recognized one, that being Vice Admiral Andsworth, today dressed in a dark uniform and tie, peaked cap snug on his head.
She gave a curt nod to Andsworth. It was all she would allow herself under the circumstances. The other three were ranking officers in midnight black uniforms. All of them Naval Intelligence, and judging by the stars on their shoulders and collars, were all admirals themselves, two Humans and one Mobian, a thinly built mustelid, perhaps a wolverine.
"Are we secured?" Redby asked.
A nod from one of the alcoves.
"Alright, bring him in."
"You speak of me like an animal, Human."
Sally's ears peaked and her eyes grew wide. The voice sounded massive, full of power, full of thinly disguised hate, and what was more, sounded ever so slightly synthetic, as if fed through translators.
She heard footsteps; large thumping footsteps where metal met metal. She turned part way around to her right, and her jaw dropped.
Standing above her was a being that instantly gave her a fright. The thing blocked out the light of the roof, but she could make out the face - lined, somewhat twisted, and unmistakably alien. Around a powerful body the being wore ornately designed armor that seemed to flow like water, parts of it rising just above each other in an interweaving pattern of a material that she failed to classify.
The being saw the green-armored form of John-117 and scowled deeply, as if a deep ancestral hatred had been rooted in him since time immemorial.
"Your Highness," Redby said, "The Didact."
The alien drew itself to full height - four meters high. He towered above the diminutive five-foot-five that Sally commanded. Her ears ducked back, and at the base of her brain, a feeling of submission was rising in her consciousness. The Didact? The Promethean general?
She hadn't been there when her Human had told the others about the visions he had seen, that the Didact had been in them, but she had learned afterwards and sought to learn all she could, which wasn't very much. A strange feeling within her took over, and she dropped to one knee. In truth, if the history books were to be believed, even this would barely be enough to tribute such a figure.
She hung her head low and waited for acknowledgement. Her mind somehow recognized the figure's majesty. Why wouldn't it? She was a Reclaimer after all. It was in her blood. How long had it been since she had thought of that word?
The Didact regarded the woman, and then a small smile formed on his twisted face. He was reminded of a time when it was Humanity in this position, displaying submission. It was a good memory, the Battle of Charum Hakkor. Even considering the circumstances of being within his Cryptum he remembered the battle well. Even being back here, at Erde-Tyrene, brought back pleasant memories of crushing the belligerent Human race back when it had been a serious threat. These Humans were small, weak, fractured, trying to recapture their glory days through these pitiful combat skins, and best of all, incapable of mounting a defense without his help. How good it was to be at the top once more.
Perhaps he would entertain a touch longer.
"Now gaze upon this one, Humans. This is one who knows when she is in the presence of a true master of the Mantle. In my time, obedience was rewarded.", he said, inclining his head. He looked around, surveying the room. These Humans didn't know the meaning of the word 'respect'. Why he had accepted to work alongside them was a mystery as great as vast as the Neural Physics of the Precursors. They were lowly creatures, in no small part due to his actions. However those actions had been necessary. These new aliens, such as they were, knew how the world worked far better. "You may rise."
Sally did as instructed, still keeping her eyes low. Her mind raced with questions, but for now she kept them to herself. She could still scarcely believe who was standing in front of her. She had questions; so many questions. Did he know of the Prisoner?"
The Didact however regarded Sally. The Humans did not speak, but watched as the Promethean tilted his head as if trying to make sense of the princess.
"I rack my brains again and again, but yet I fail to recognize your kind, creature. My wife sheltered many kinds of the earth, sea, sky, and void. The Didact has a long memory, yet your face eludes me."
She spoke for the first time. "My kind is not of this world, my lord, Didact. We are from a world parallel to this one."
The Promethean paced. "'My lord', she says." he repeated. "Such a simple title, is it not, Humans? It denotes respect." his massive gravelly voice was cast about in the room as echoes. Even in an even tone, he was loud and projected his authority accordingly, "Even if I was forced to come down to this speck of a planetoid, on the hind edges of the system I brought to heel... someone shows respect."
He looked about, seeing Rouge. "What say you, spy?"
For a moment, Rouge said nothing, taken aback by the sudden address. "I am only serving as an intermediary, sir. My lord." she said, catching herself before the end. Rouge was not the bowing type no matter who was wearing the crown.
The Didact scowled. "The Mantle of Responsibility shelters all, provided they know their place, as you do." he said, gazing back at Sally. "Speak, child. Why are you brought before the Didact?"
Sally struggled to keep her voice even. "A man I loved claimed he saw you in his dreams."
Confusion and annoyance flashed on the Warrior-Servant's face. "I know not your kind; I spake this."
"No." Sally said, blinking and regulating her breath. "He was not of my kind. He was Human."
A scowl appeared on the Didact's face; quick revulsion that he instantly controlled. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the ONI admirals whispering to one another with Andsworth's eyes flickering back and forth between them.
"In dreams?" the alien said before a flashing of realization came to his mind. His shoulders softened and the floating accents of his armor sunk with the posture. "That was so very long ago. It was another time."
The Didact backed away, suddenly lost in thought. On his back hung a cape inscribed with Forerunner runes along its border. The cape almost touched the metal floor as it fluttered behind the man.
"More the actions of my wife than that of I. I only granted a sample of my essence; gave what was required for her latest endeavor. The rest was the work of ancilae. That would mean my wife's plan came to pass, as they usually do. Those damned jewels proved useful after all."
Sally saw the flicker of an emotion flicker across the face of the Promethean; which she only had a split-second to register. Was that longing? Sadness? Where was his wife?
"It's how we found Requiem, my lord."
"Indeed. And where is this Human? Your... mate?"
"My husband!" Sally shouted. "I don't care if we were never married; he was my husband, goddammit!" she touched the ring on her finger subconsciously. "My husband."
Her emotion had no effect on the Forerunner though. In fact what little mutual respect that she had earned was now in danger. "Where is this Human?"
Sally took a shuddering breath. "Dead. Two years ago."
"There is no point to this!" the general said, beginning to turn away once more.
"He fell in combat, but your geas would have killed him anyway. He took his last strength from you."
He turned back, his orange eyes flaring in impatience. "If he could not bear the strength my essence bestowed upon him then his fate was of his own design." the Didact said. "I make no apologies for the diminished resistances of Humanity."
Sally asked, "You know what it's like to lose someone you love?"
The Didact froze, but then said, "Forerunners do not marry for love."
Then, in a cold voice, with no triumph, or malice, she said, "Then why do you take the time to remember your wife?"
The Didact simply looked at her, eyes set, a fierce look in them, but there was not one person in the room that could say for certain what the massive being was thinking with the exception of the Didact himself.
In the alcoves, one of the Spartans directly in the general's blind spot began to reach for his holster and slowly unclipped it. At the same time, John-117 immediately began to scan the room behind his visor, looking for outcroppings, choke points, areas of impact, and he reasoned that this room was specifically designed to allow for as little obstruction as possible.
The Didact took a step towards the small Mobian, and then took a step away.
"Why exactly is this one here, Humans? She seems to have a very loose grasp of how to address a leader."
"She is here," Andsworth said, for the first time, filling the space with his distinctive drawl, "because her world has had contact with the Prisoner as well in one form or another. Her Highness has had direct contact with the holder of the Librarian's geas, and she is greatly familiar with extrauniversal travel. I have known her parents almost ten years. They are noble people."
"Why did you insist here exactly?" the Didact asked, glancing around. "Why this frozen rock? Why not aboard the Mantle's Approach?"
"Three reasons." Andsworth said. "The first of which is it's a small marvel we found not only a meeting place but corridors large enough to allow a Warrior-Servant free access. The second is trust. We bring you into our house, no strings attached to prove that we want to work with you. The third is that this location is close to the jumpgate, which if you require it, is there for your use."
"You neglected to inform me of this asset, Human."
"Admiral."
"Human." The Didact insisted.
Andsworth shrugged. "That is because in this stage of planning it was not important to do so. I understand you never ceased hostilities against Humanity?"
"Were it not for this incident I would be at the threshold of Erde-Tyrene itself." the Didact growled. "Something we will address after."
"But until that point," one of the ONI officers, the female whose name was Trenton, said, "We work together. If not as colleagues or allies, than people with a vested mutual interest."
"Agreed." Sally said, eyes travelling back to the Didact. "My lord?"
Silence for over a minute. Two minutes as the thoughts rolled around in the ancient general's head. He crossed his arms, and with a heavy sigh, he said, "We have a mutual interest. But I warn you, Humans! If there is even the is even the faintest of treachery, I will strip your pitiful homeworld to the dirt your kind crawled from.
"Glad to see we're all a big happy family." The other ONI admiral, McCabe said. "I assume that goes both ways?"
"No." The Didact said with a hint of a smile. "But you are welcome to try." He glanced around at the men standing in the alcoves.
"Then as of this point, this operation commences." Andsworth said. "As of this moment, everyone in this room, whether they agree with us or not, are bound to secrecy. All of our assets, all of our resources are going to be pooled together, and that includes those of our distinguished guest." he said, nodding to the Forerunner, who bared his teeth, but made no objection. Nobody, not even our leaders are to know about this unless deemed absolutely necessary. Sally, that includes your parents; do you understand?"
She nodded.
"Rouge?" Andsworth added.
"Locked down tight." she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"All future meetings will be held aboard the Mantle's Approach." the Didact said. "It is far more secure than this place."
"Not on the table." Redby said. "This is secure enough."
"I agree... 'not on the table'. The Mantle's Approach will serve us fine as we coordinate. It is a vessel that has seen many more wars than this pitiful excuse of a fortress. You showed me trust by bringing me to your home system; allow me to return the same."
"You trust Humans on your ship?" Rouge asked.
He lowered his voice and said, "If I wanted you dead, I would have done so long before I arrived here."
The Admirals glanced at each other, as did Rouge and Sally.
"Alright." Andsworth said.
"Gerome..." Redby answered.
"Trust me on this one, Hugh."
The Didact smiled.
Redby said, "Alright. I'll make the arrangements. I'll vet support staff with the Didact's permission of course, and we'll start this little escapade of killing a god." and then he turned to leave. He nearly made it to the door before he froze. "Oh, Gerome?"
Andsworth locked his eyes on the Admiral.
"Don't fuck me over on this."
"Never crossed my mind." the Vice Admiral said, just as Redby crossed the doorway, closing it behind him, leaving the motley muti-species crew to contemplate just what they were getting into.
January 1, 3242, 2020 hours
The Black Bat
The Kuiper Belt, Sol System
Home Universe
It had been over thirty hours since Sally had slept, and that time was starting to catch up to her. She slumped into the copilot's seat of the Black Bat with her third cup of enriched coffee in her hand. She was alone for now, staring at the blackness of Slipspace in front of her. The void was infinite and so black that at a subconscious level it unnerved her, but she chose to shut it out and instead take a pull on the cup, letting the hot liquid within sustain her and drive her to push on for just a few more hours. There had been little time to waste in crossing over to Earth, which had been difficult to do since the reopening of the Jumpgate following what was now being called the '1840 Incident' by military journalists. The Ontario, Bastogne, and the Colorado had simply become the latest in an increasing list of lost vessels that had vanished and never returned on excursions.
Sally tried not to think about who she had lost, but again the faces showed up. Miles, Jolee, Johnson, Ryan...
She banished the thought and tried to think of her current situation.
The Black Bat had set off from Earth on an intrasystem jump, which followed different rules due to the gravitational influences of the planets themselves. Different calculations had to be applied; different physical laws needed to be followed, and in the end, travel time needed to be observed. Sally could swear that subjectively this was taking way more time than needed. What if they had already arrived and their reality had yet to catch up.
Her eyebrows bobbed as she took another sip, contemplating the knots and streams of spacetime.
She was a mess. She could see in the reflection of the viewport that her hair was unkempt, her eyes were bloodshot, and her fur was matted in a few places. She was in no position to present herself to the admiralty, or at the very least Redby, whom she knew liked things squared away. Then again, she wasn't wearing a Marine uniform. She was going as herself. Truly, she didn't give a damn what they thought she looked like.
The computers hummed, chirped, and clicked. She could listen and hear the faintest humming of the Slipspace core of the Black Bat. She closed her eyes and pictured the particles racing around the loops of the drive, smashing into each other and producing energy that people a thousand years ago couldn't have imagined, when nuclear power was just getting its legs; when the moon was the farthest mankind had ever stepped from their doorstep. She was very lucky to live in the time she did.
She heard a noise and her ear twitched. She glanced around and saw Rouge coming through the hatch, a similar cup in her hand. She was in an off duty uniform of an ONI officer: a black turtleneck and tan cargo pants. Her boots were also black and shiny. Sally could note slight puffiness in her sleeves where her wings were tucked away out of sight. She very rarely saw them, and indeed the princess thought the bat-folk in general were kind of self-conscious of them, preferring to have them tucked away when not in use so that they blended in more.
Rouge set her cup down in a holder and rubbed her eyes, sliding behind the main console and tapping several keys.
"How's John?" Sally asked.
"He's fine." Rouge said. "Exercising in the hold. I think he's on five hundred pushups."
"I should go see him." Sally said. "I should talk to him about Requiem."
"No." Rouge said. "The admirals are going to debrief you on that one."
"Why can't I just talk to him? He's only a hundred feet behind me!"
"None of it will make sense without the whole picture, including what you know."
"What do I know exactly?" Sally asked, suddenly annoyed. "I don't know what's going on?"
"Better if you just accept it and wait until they ask the specific questions."
The chipmunk began to rise.
"Go ahead. You know he's not going to say anything to you." Rouge pressed. "You know he's tight lipped. Been that way since we found him on the Dawn."
Sally sighed loudly and sank back into the plush seat. "I know. He never lets anyone in to his world. You think all Spartans were like that in his time?"
"I think John's always been unique."
"Linda must have missed him very much."
Rouge looked at Sally. "You read his file?"
"Sounds like you did too."
Neither said anything for a moment, but the princess broke it first by asking, "How far have you gone in this thing?"
"You mean on a mission?" Rouge asked.
"Mission, treasure hunting, sanctioned thievery, whatever you like to call it. ONI gives you carte blanche to do your thing as long as you take orders from them from time to time?"
"It's not that simple." Rouge said. "I have my orders too. I'm Section 0 for a reason you know. Sometimes I'm out on... business trips, let's call them."
"What sort of business trips?"
Rouge gave a slight smirk. "Trading reports that would be kept off the Slipspace channels, monitoring black projects, doing some long range recon, maybe a little bit of problem solving."
"Uh, 'problem solving'? Sounds like assassination."
"Problem solving covers a wide variety of things." Rouge said. "Oh hell, why not. This was about two years ago. I received orders from a vice admiral, that I shall not name, to go and speak to a deep cover agent that wasn't sending reports to his superiors back in Sydney, yet everybody knew he was alive because of secondary spies. They sent me to check up on him and ask him what was so interesting to keep him from sending his reports."
"Why didn't the other spy talk to him?"
"Deep cover, Highness. ONI had the whole thing planned out. They had this operation running since before Indomitable showed up. The other spy couldn't actually be in real communication with our guy. So I had to infiltrate into where he was working and spoke to him directly."
"Did he know you were a Mobian?"
"No. Bit of a shock for him at first, and I was in disguise for most of those times. He gave me his reasons, and I didn't like them. That is to say Bravo-6 didn't like them. So one day I got orders to cut our losses with him."
"You didn't kill him, did you?"
"No." Rouge said honestly. "My orders were to make it known that there was a spy from a rival faction and that our guy was the one to throw to the wolves. Killing him would have made it too suspicious. Needless to say when I actually told our agent about the plans, he promised he would never leave us out of the loop ever again."
"That's just dickish."
"That's business. We extracted him a year and a half later when he did his job, and now he has a cushy job somewhere. As a reward for putting myself in harm's way multiple times, ONI let slip a little info about a mineral deposit I could use to my advantage. I sold the find to a mining guild, and bought a house on the Amalfi Coast. Haven't been there yet though."
"Amazing." Sally said.
"To answer your question, that was also the farthest I've ever been. This was well outside UEG space, past the Buffer. This is where a bunch of trade republics like to bash heads with one another and occasionally form an empire before collapsing in a century or two. That was perhaps fifteen or sixteen thousand lightyears away."
"Does it ever get lonely?"
Rouge didn't say anything for a long time, but nodded.
Neither of them said anything for some time afterwards, when the console began to light up. "OK, we dropping out now. Hold on to the java."
The darkness vanished in an instant. replaced by an amazing array of stars. Sally was awestruck by the sight at once. They were in the Kuiper Belt; the farthest reaches of the Sol system. Out here, the light from the far distant star was diminished but still present. In the expanse, the purple ribbon of the milky way stretched across the void, bright clouds of gas and dust containing a scattering of stars, otherwise drowned out by the light of Sol.
Sedna stood before it all. Even this far away from the light of the star Sol, it still retained a lit surface. The airless rock in front of them had a red surface, part of the globe caught in the light of the sun was glistening as if it were frozen, and in truth, it was. Everything about this globe was remote, cold, and ignored by greater existence - one large body among many beyond the reaches of the outer Solar system. The women observed this little world before Rouge fired the thrusters to slow their velocity. The ship rumbled ever so slightly. The passengers barely felt the jets firing even though the cones of burning gas were visible at the edges of the craft's body. In truth it barely looked like it did anything at first, but Sally realized that the Black Bat would slowly start swinging closer to the surface of the dwarf world.
She glanced at the instrument panel, showing that their apoapsis had shrunk considerably, coming only a couple hundred kilometers above the pockmarked surface. As soon as their approach was set, the panel showed a blinking light. Rouge pressed it, accepting the call.
"Unidentified craft, you are entering restricted airspace. You are ordered to disengage, alter trajectory, and enter Slipstream on exit vector."
"Sedna Command, Black Bat, tail code Alpha-X-Ray-Five-Seven-Zero-Zero. ID Sig Four-Four-Niner-Seven-One-Zero-Zero-Alpha-Two. Transmitting additional code. Stand by."
She pressed several buttons on the panel, located the source of the signal, attached the standard handshake packet, and fired it off. Silence for ten seconds. The Bat started to tumble, but the RCS systems fired, keeping the craft level.
"Verification complete. Welcome back to Sedna, Black Bat. Stand by for transfer to Echo Tower."
The red ball of Sedna suddenly seemed to start rising up over them. Sally glanced up at the world, counting new craters as they appeared. This world was ancient, and was likely still covered in gas from when it was formed so long ago. She wondered just what this dwarf planet experienced. Sedna had an orbit lasting over 11,000 years. It hadn't even reached the farthest point from the sun since it was discovered back at the dawn of the Twenty-First Century. Not even close.
"Let me do the talking." Rouge breathed. "I've been here before. I know the angles. You are officially here as an attache. You might be an OMEGA, but here ONI's top dog. You do what I say when I say it. Understand?"
Sally pressed her lips together tightly. "Yes." was all she said before sipping the coffee once more. "Why have bases all the way out here? Why not have them closer in-system?"
"Why would you ever put a base on a world that takes more than ten thousand years to orbit all the way out here in the boonies?"
"Who's going to come out here?"
"Bingo." Rouge said, winking. "ONI loves their secrecy."
"Tell me about it."
"ONI Prowler Black Bat, Echo Tower." a new female voice said. "Confirm acknowledgement for override."
"Black Bat acknowledges override, Tower. Wheel's yours."
The stick left the agent's hands, moving on its own. The ONI officers below must have been bringing them in; obviously not trusting their own spy to pilot in on her own. Sally's eyes darted around. Very rarely had she ever been in a situation where a groundside operator would take over a whole ship. What would have happened if they refused the override?"
She didn't think about it as the phantom operator controlled their craft, the fly-by wire systems still engaged. The prowler flipped again so that it was facing the reverse vector of its motion. They also began to roll, small puffs of thrusters flipping them over. The horizon of Sedna had become flatter and flatter, and was now located beneath them. Sally risked a glance at the icy surface. The glare of the sun reflecting off the ground. She could see that there were small installations built into the ground. They perhaps a few miles wide at most encompassing a few prefabricated surface buildings, satellite dishes, or a few domes that she supposed were some sort of scanning equipment. Every now and again they flew over a complex of tanks, pipes and scaffolding that may have been a refinery. Soon though the engines fired in earnest, this time at full throttle. She shook in her seat as the Black Bat was brought to a near stand-still. Her teeth rattled in her skull for nearly a full minute of braking. Soon though they started dropping towards what she now saw was a sprawling base, with taller buildings, large dishes, and small craft darting around in the air. On the surface, small rovers moved slowly but surely. One caught air and practically soared through vacuum, bouncing on generous suspension as it hit the dirt.
"Black Bat stand by. Touchdown in three, two.."
The ship bounced as the landing gear made contact with the surface.
"Touchdown. Welcome back to Sedna. Initiating remote engine disengage. Returning control to operator."
The pad began to sink into the ground, lowered on a giant elevator. The stars above were only visible through a long shaft. Even this was blocked from view by giant doors that shut every now and again. Two minutes later, the lift stopped softly, but with finality.
Rouge unclipped her harness and stepped up, making sure to take generous gulps of her drink. "Make sure you drink as much as you can. They never serve any good coffee here. Even the beer's nasty."
"I don't drink beer." Sally said, unclipping her own seat restraints.
"Then you're not going to fit in here."
"That's too bad."
The exterior was pressurized gradually, and the pair emerged from the craft by the gangplank exit. The base had a comfortable 1g pull compared to the exterior. Sally could feel that she was comfortable in this environment, even though as she slipped out of the Black Bat's own gravity generation she could feel a momentary queasiness before her stomach settled.
Behind them, John had silently joined, suited up in his suit of MJOLNIR armor, as was his custom. John didn't like to leave his armor unattended and would wear it even without real reason to do so in a formal environment. Even among other Spartans he insisted on this. Sally could not understand it. For all either the princess or the agent could tell, he was communicating with Cortana within his suit, remaining eerily silent to the outside world.
The instant that the trio passed through the airlocks leading to the landing pad, Sally was assailed once more by the ONI aesthetic that she had grown so comfortable with - stark white corridors with black tiling and wall detail. They must have been several dozen meters below the ground, yet the hallways were as elegant as they were back on Earth. She was immediately reminded of the Bravo-6 facility that she had the misfortune of visiting on more than one occasion, the first of which was under less than favorable conditions indeed. However, unlike the facility in Sydney, the hallways were far more narrow and segmented, betraying the fact that they were prefabricated and modular. Even ONI had to consider the limitations of building on another planetary body like this.
They hadn't gone far past the airlock when a man in a uniform, tie, and cap met them. Two stars were clipped on his shoulders.
"Admiral on deck." John declared, hand snapping to his armored temple. Rouge copied the gesture just as quickly. Sally however was a civilian now and wasn't bound by the same rules. Regarless, out of sheer habit, the hand came up.
Rear Admiral Hugh Redby strode gracefully up to them, came to a position of attention, and saluted back. "I think ceremony can wait for this one. Glad you all could make it on short notice. Spartan, Commander, Highness."
He addressed them all in turn. Sally had forgotten on more than one occasion that Rouge actually outranked her technically. This was one of those times, and a quick glance at the three golden bars stitched onto her shoulder reinforced the rank envy that she felt every single time. Why had she insisted on capping at an E-9?
She knew why; she wanted her Human to have say in combat. She had read his record the instant they had been assigned as Protector, and later commanding field officer of OMEGA. She knew that in battle he would have had the experience needed to succeed. But now things were different. Her experience now outstripped his own.
She wondered how Christopher would have tackled the Legion? She thought he probably would have ended up drawing a blank. This sort of warfare was not something he had ever experienced. Not even his experience with Overlander Marauders nor Forerunners seemed comparable to what Kintobor's walking bombs had thrown at her. Not even surviving a nuclear explosion could prepare him for this cruelty.
So she had remained as a Sergeant Major. The highest an NCO could get without special appointment. Though now she technically had no rank. She was dressed as a civilian. The bat-woman would get special intel before her. Why didn't she apply for a promotion when she had the chance? Why didn't they just give her the clearance?
In her circular thoughts, she wandered and sometimes strayed from a straight line. John could tell and saved her from running into a side support, gently steering her away by the shoulder. She didn't even notice as her mind was burdened by minutia.
Why had they drawn her out to this speck on the edge of the solar system? What was so important that they weren't even allowed to pilot their own ship down to the surface? What was so important that they had to walk through halls specifically designed to drive a man mad?
Once again, John intervened as they turned a corner. This time, the Spartan spoke.
"You alright?"
"Hmm?" Sally asked, the spell now broken. "I was just thinking."
"I could see that."
Another turn, but the princess made it easily.
"John, can I ask you a question?"
He made a motion that could have been a nod, but she didn't seem a hundred-percent certain of it. She spoke anyway, "Are you ever bothered about being left in the dark?"
The answer was immediate. "No."
"Never?"
"Never." the Human responded. "We do our job. We trust in our orders. We don't complain."
"Is it just a Spartan thing, or do you think people in particular should feel that way?"
There was a beat, but he said, "Yes."
Rouge spoke next. Sally was only vaguely aware that she was listening to everything she said. "I need you to go into this with no preconceptions. This is not something I just want to throw out there."
"Bullshit." She casually cursed. "Tell me everything, and tell me now."
The Spartan spoke once more. "If you aren't going to listen to her, then listen to me."
She tried to make eye contact with the gold visor, but failed to do so. Good god, maybe she was going crazy.
Redby cleared his throat. "The next section is heavily guarded. You are not to speak of anything you see beyond, highness. I needed a near majority of signatures from the Security Council to add you to the list of approved entrances."
"Who didn't vouch for me? China?"
Redby attempted a smile. His lined face betrayed that it was only a pleasantry.
They passed through four doors. The first two were guarded by military police officers, their inverted chevrons indicating that they were Army NCOs. The third door was guarded by black armored ONI security personnel, affectionately known as 'Midnighters' because of that and the unrelieved white faceplate that when viewed from the right angle, looked a bit like a crescent moon. Finally, the last door was guarded by a pair of armed Spartans, both toting cut down semi-automatic shotguns. Though Sally wouldn't consider herself a master gunsmith, she could tell that the actions were modified based on the exposed portions of the bolt. She would have bet any money that these weapons had hair triggers and quicker mechanics to spray double-aught buck down the fifteen foot chamber in the blink of an eye.
The Spartans' amor was angular and betrayed an air of eerie mystery that awakened a primal fear in the base of her skull - a vestigial response a thousand or two generations back when her ancestors climbed from trees and fled at the merest hint of a threat. The helmets were boxy things with no indications that the thing inside was Human. They could have been robots for all she knew. Were it not for nametags painted in smart white on their breasts, or the Senior Chief Petty Officer ranks on their shoulders, she would have assumed so. They were impossibly still. They betrayed no motion whatsoever, and that frightened her. She glanced at John. She knew what the man looked like underneath that armored exterior. She knew his face. These men were complete mysteries. This must have been what John's enemies saw before they died.
Redby raised an ID badge to the SCPO on the left. Suddenly the Spartan was animated, his body loosening and head moving before the ID was confirmed. He snapped to and his trigger hand snapped to his helmet.
"Welcome back, Admiral." the Spartan said in an overly nasally voice.
Sally entertained the thought of a Spartan needing rhinoplasty. It was the first smile of the day.
The final door opened just as quickly and silently as the others. It revealed an elevator car.
Sally was confused. She didn't understand the need for such security involving an elevator, but after the car started to descend, it occurred to her that there was something very secret waiting at the bottom. She lost track of how long they were within the car, possibly a minute at the very least.
Nobody spoke. Redby kept his eyes forward towards the door and Rouge did the same. As for John, who knew where he was staring.
The only indication of the stop was a slight ping from the elevator's computer. The doors slid apart.
"He's in here." Redby said. "Down the hall. We'll bring him in for you."
"Who's 'he'?" the princess asked. "What's going on?"
John gave her a slight tug on the arm. She freed herself quickly and followed the Spartan, furious at the secrecy. However, the next room she saw was some sort of meeting chamber with high ceilings and vaulted corridors far too big for such a space. Massive computer screens dominated the walls that displayed maps of the Sol system, with one in particular showing a map of the Milky Way galaxy with several bubbles of red. Sally believed that these were conflict areas that the UNSC had found itself in - wars that had popped up that needed attention. Most she realized were beyond UEG-controlled space. In the very center of the galaxy was a massive red dot with lines of text streaming alongside it.
It was cold in here, but not too frigid; possibly to keep the people that were to meet around the disk of dark wood on their toes. The lighting was excellent around the table, but poor enough around the edges of the room to conceal the Spartans standing in alcoves, hands behind their backs, midnight armor helping them blend into the black panelling. She took a deep breath, trying to parse anything from the air, but it was as sterile as the interior design, almost like a hospital.
Despite the chairs that were obviously meant to hold far more than were present, only four other people were in the room. Besides Redby, she only recognized one, that being Vice Admiral Andsworth, today dressed in a dark uniform and tie, peaked cap snug on his head.
She gave a curt nod to Andsworth. It was all she would allow herself under the circumstances. The other three were ranking officers in midnight black uniforms. All of them Naval Intelligence, and judging by the stars on their shoulders and collars, were all admirals themselves, two Humans and one Mobian, a thinly built mustelid, perhaps a wolverine.
"Are we secured?" Redby asked.
A nod from one of the alcoves.
"Alright, bring him in."
"You speak of me like an animal, Human."
Sally's ears peaked and her eyes grew wide. The voice sounded massive, full of power, full of thinly disguised hate, and what was more, sounded ever so slightly synthetic, as if fed through translators.
She heard footsteps; large thumping footsteps where metal met metal. She turned part way around to her right, and her jaw dropped.
Standing above her was a being that instantly gave her a fright. The thing blocked out the light of the roof, but she could make out the face - lined, somewhat twisted, and unmistakably alien. Around a powerful body the being wore ornately designed armor that seemed to flow like water, parts of it rising just above each other in an interweaving pattern of a material that she failed to classify.
The being saw the green-armored form of John-117 and scowled deeply, as if a deep ancestral hatred had been rooted in him since time immemorial.
"Your Highness," Redby said, "The Didact."
The alien drew itself to full height - four meters high. He towered above the diminutive five-foot-five that Sally commanded. Her ears ducked back, and at the base of her brain, a feeling of submission was rising in her consciousness. The Didact? The Promethean general?
She hadn't been there when her Human had told the others about the visions he had seen, that the Didact had been in them, but she had learned afterwards and sought to learn all she could, which wasn't very much. A strange feeling within her took over, and she dropped to one knee. In truth, if the history books were to be believed, even this would barely be enough to tribute such a figure.
She hung her head low and waited for acknowledgement. Her mind somehow recognized the figure's majesty. Why wouldn't it? She was a Reclaimer after all. It was in her blood. How long had it been since she had thought of that word?
The Didact regarded the woman, and then a small smile formed on his twisted face. He was reminded of a time when it was Humanity in this position, displaying submission. It was a good memory, the Battle of Charum Hakkor. Even considering the circumstances of being within his Cryptum he remembered the battle well. Even being back here, at Erde-Tyrene, brought back pleasant memories of crushing the belligerent Human race back when it had been a serious threat. These Humans were small, weak, fractured, trying to recapture their glory days through these pitiful combat skins, and best of all, incapable of mounting a defense without his help. How good it was to be at the top once more.
Perhaps he would entertain a touch longer.
"Now gaze upon this one, Humans. This is one who knows when she is in the presence of a true master of the Mantle. In my time, obedience was rewarded.", he said, inclining his head. He looked around, surveying the room. These Humans didn't know the meaning of the word 'respect'. Why he had accepted to work alongside them was a mystery as great as vast as the Neural Physics of the Precursors. They were lowly creatures, in no small part due to his actions. However those actions had been necessary. These new aliens, such as they were, knew how the world worked far better. "You may rise."
Sally did as instructed, still keeping her eyes low. Her mind raced with questions, but for now she kept them to herself. She could still scarcely believe who was standing in front of her. She had questions; so many questions. Did he know of the Prisoner?"
The Didact however regarded Sally. The Humans did not speak, but watched as the Promethean tilted his head as if trying to make sense of the princess.
"I rack my brains again and again, but yet I fail to recognize your kind, creature. My wife sheltered many kinds of the earth, sea, sky, and void. The Didact has a long memory, yet your face eludes me."
She spoke for the first time. "My kind is not of this world, my lord, Didact. We are from a world parallel to this one."
The Promethean paced. "'My lord', she says." he repeated. "Such a simple title, is it not, Humans? It denotes respect." his massive gravelly voice was cast about in the room as echoes. Even in an even tone, he was loud and projected his authority accordingly, "Even if I was forced to come down to this speck of a planetoid, on the hind edges of the system I brought to heel... someone shows respect."
He looked about, seeing Rouge. "What say you, spy?"
For a moment, Rouge said nothing, taken aback by the sudden address. "I am only serving as an intermediary, sir. My lord." she said, catching herself before the end. Rouge was not the bowing type no matter who was wearing the crown.
The Didact scowled. "The Mantle of Responsibility shelters all, provided they know their place, as you do." he said, gazing back at Sally. "Speak, child. Why are you brought before the Didact?"
Sally struggled to keep her voice even. "A man I loved claimed he saw you in his dreams."
Confusion and annoyance flashed on the Warrior-Servant's face. "I know not your kind; I spake this."
"No." Sally said, blinking and regulating her breath. "He was not of my kind. He was Human."
A scowl appeared on the Didact's face; quick revulsion that he instantly controlled. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the ONI admirals whispering to one another with Andsworth's eyes flickering back and forth between them.
"In dreams?" the alien said before a flashing of realization came to his mind. His shoulders softened and the floating accents of his armor sunk with the posture. "That was so very long ago. It was another time."
The Didact backed away, suddenly lost in thought. On his back hung a cape inscribed with Forerunner runes along its border. The cape almost touched the metal floor as it fluttered behind the man.
"More the actions of my wife than that of I. I only granted a sample of my essence; gave what was required for her latest endeavor. The rest was the work of ancilae. That would mean my wife's plan came to pass, as they usually do. Those damned jewels proved useful after all."
Sally saw the flicker of an emotion flicker across the face of the Promethean; which she only had a split-second to register. Was that longing? Sadness? Where was his wife?
"It's how we found Requiem, my lord."
"Indeed. And where is this Human? Your... mate?"
"My husband!" Sally shouted. "I don't care if we were never married; he was my husband, goddammit!" she touched the ring on her finger subconsciously. "My husband."
Her emotion had no effect on the Forerunner though. In fact what little mutual respect that she had earned was now in danger. "Where is this Human?"
Sally took a shuddering breath. "Dead. Two years ago."
"There is no point to this!" the general said, beginning to turn away once more.
"He fell in combat, but your geas would have killed him anyway. He took his last strength from you."
He turned back, his orange eyes flaring in impatience. "If he could not bear the strength my essence bestowed upon him then his fate was of his own design." the Didact said. "I make no apologies for the diminished resistances of Humanity."
Sally asked, "You know what it's like to lose someone you love?"
The Didact froze, but then said, "Forerunners do not marry for love."
Then, in a cold voice, with no triumph, or malice, she said, "Then why do you take the time to remember your wife?"
The Didact simply looked at her, eyes set, a fierce look in them, but there was not one person in the room that could say for certain what the massive being was thinking with the exception of the Didact himself.
In the alcoves, one of the Spartans directly in the general's blind spot began to reach for his holster and slowly unclipped it. At the same time, John-117 immediately began to scan the room behind his visor, looking for outcroppings, choke points, areas of impact, and he reasoned that this room was specifically designed to allow for as little obstruction as possible.
The Didact took a step towards the small Mobian, and then took a step away.
"Why exactly is this one here, Humans? She seems to have a very loose grasp of how to address a leader."
"She is here," Andsworth said, for the first time, filling the space with his distinctive drawl, "because her world has had contact with the Prisoner as well in one form or another. Her Highness has had direct contact with the holder of the Librarian's geas, and she is greatly familiar with extrauniversal travel. I have known her parents almost ten years. They are noble people."
"Why did you insist here exactly?" the Didact asked, glancing around. "Why this frozen rock? Why not aboard the Mantle's Approach?"
"Three reasons." Andsworth said. "The first of which is it's a small marvel we found not only a meeting place but corridors large enough to allow a Warrior-Servant free access. The second is trust. We bring you into our house, no strings attached to prove that we want to work with you. The third is that this location is close to the jumpgate, which if you require it, is there for your use."
"You neglected to inform me of this asset, Human."
"Admiral."
"Human." The Didact insisted.
Andsworth shrugged. "That is because in this stage of planning it was not important to do so. I understand you never ceased hostilities against Humanity?"
"Were it not for this incident I would be at the threshold of Erde-Tyrene itself." the Didact growled. "Something we will address after."
"But until that point," one of the ONI officers, the female whose name was Trenton, said, "We work together. If not as colleagues or allies, than people with a vested mutual interest."
"Agreed." Sally said, eyes travelling back to the Didact. "My lord?"
Silence for over a minute. Two minutes as the thoughts rolled around in the ancient general's head. He crossed his arms, and with a heavy sigh, he said, "We have a mutual interest. But I warn you, Humans! If there is even the is even the faintest of treachery, I will strip your pitiful homeworld to the dirt your kind crawled from.
"Glad to see we're all a big happy family." The other ONI admiral, McCabe said. "I assume that goes both ways?"
"No." The Didact said with a hint of a smile. "But you are welcome to try." He glanced around at the men standing in the alcoves.
"Then as of this point, this operation commences." Andsworth said. "As of this moment, everyone in this room, whether they agree with us or not, are bound to secrecy. All of our assets, all of our resources are going to be pooled together, and that includes those of our distinguished guest." he said, nodding to the Forerunner, who bared his teeth, but made no objection. Nobody, not even our leaders are to know about this unless deemed absolutely necessary. Sally, that includes your parents; do you understand?"
She nodded.
"Rouge?" Andsworth added.
"Locked down tight." she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"All future meetings will be held aboard the Mantle's Approach." the Didact said. "It is far more secure than this place."
"Not on the table." Redby said. "This is secure enough."
"I agree... 'not on the table'. The Mantle's Approach will serve us fine as we coordinate. It is a vessel that has seen many more wars than this pitiful excuse of a fortress. You showed me trust by bringing me to your home system; allow me to return the same."
"You trust Humans on your ship?" Rouge asked.
He lowered his voice and said, "If I wanted you dead, I would have done so long before I arrived here."
The Admirals glanced at each other, as did Rouge and Sally.
"Alright." Andsworth said.
"Gerome..." Redby answered.
"Trust me on this one, Hugh."
The Didact smiled.
Redby said, "Alright. I'll make the arrangements. I'll vet support staff with the Didact's permission of course, and we'll start this little escapade of killing a god." and then he turned to leave. He nearly made it to the door before he froze. "Oh, Gerome?"
Andsworth locked his eyes on the Admiral.
"Don't fuck me over on this."
"Never crossed my mind." the Vice Admiral said, just as Redby crossed the doorway, closing it behind him, leaving the motley muti-species crew to contemplate just what they were getting into.
Category All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 477 x 246px
File Size 19.8 kB
Comments