EliteCommander

The Cradle

The last few weeks had been rather calm, from Vreta’s perspective. Behind the scenes, he knew that it was all a mess of meetings and negotiations between diplomats and committees, but fortunately, not one that he had to personally be involved with. He was aware of this complex web of alliances and agreements but he was assigned to the science team, and the science team only had to worry about doing their job. Others would deal with those headaches on their behalf. Once they had a suitable agreement, the team was finally able to make the journey to Psi-Helios.

A condition of the agreement stipulated that their expedition into the system would be demilitarized, so the Barbarossa was only able to bring them near to Psi-Helios, with the rest of the fleet. For their foray into the system proper, the Rothians provided an exploration cruiser. As a civilian vessel, it was not actually comparable in size to a military cruiser, but rather was closer to a corvette or destroyer in scale. In any case, it had ample space for the personnel and equipment they would need for their investigation. Even without being a warship, it still had plenty of tools to keep its crew safe. It was fast, maneuverable, and had strong enough shields to let it escape from threats. Most importantly, there was no way that the primitives in the system would be able to detect it.

It was rather early in the morning, or rather, what was scheduled as “morning” aboard the ship. It felt like it was always a nightmare trying to navigate the waking and sleeping cycles of people of different species, with different rest requirements, from planets with entirely different rotational periods. One aspect of working with Humans that Vreta did not mind was that their sleep cycles were within acceptable tolerances of one another. They were both diurnal, so that did not require substantial adjustment from either party. Rothians did require two to three hours more sleep optimally, but it was manageable for them to put together a schedule they could both work with. Now that they were adding more species to their team, though, that might change. With how long Vreta had been assigned to Outremer, he had been relying on chemical assistance to help him make due with less rest so he could adjust to a more Human-friendly schedule, which was why he was the one who was up and about at the moment. Granted, he was still up even earlier than usual, so he was rather groggy at the moment. The transport bearing their new Tindrel and Qalian-Vosh team members had just docked earlier than scheduled, so he needed to get someone from the team to meet them. He knew Marae had a late night, and since Freyr needed less sleep, he was going to get her. She would only be losing about an hour of rest, at least.

On the way, Vreta pinged Freyr’s alarm to get her awake, along with sending her a message. “Tindrel and QV are here. Hopefully they don’t kill each other before we can talk to them. Bringing coffee.” Once he reached Freyr’s quarters, Vreta gave the door a few knocks, then leaned back against the wall with a cup of coffee in each hand.

The Cradle

“I do not lie.” Brasikha interrupted quite firmly. “Should you face any undue economic impact as a direct result of our actions, then we can compensate you. The value of this material is not greater than our collective security.”

Brasikha stepped forward, slightly closer to coming between them. “By its location, both of you have an obvious interest in Psi-Helios. I will not comment on who has more or less of a claim, but right now, I am requesting that you put this issue aside. If you are truly worried about your position in this system, or any other, then you should be concerned with this new threat. There is no reason to believe that they will respect your borders any more than ours. More than that, though, have you considered that these machines may interrupt your plans for Psi-Helios far more than our investigation ever could? There may be something related to these machines in Psi-Helios, and if they find the system, they will not sit down in a meeting to negotiate with you about it. They will invade, primitives or no, they will take what they want, and they will ruin any chance you have of your plans for the system coming to fruition.”

He likely had more of their attention now, so he was quick to continue and retain control of the conversation. “I will say, it is not just that we are requesting your cooperation. We also wish to extend to both of you the offer to join our investigation. These machines represent a threat that crosses our borders, so we all have a right to have a hand in our own defense. Outremer has cooperated in the formation of a joint science team to study and understand this threat and our potential solutions…with partial access to the Cradle.”

The Cradle

“That is not the purpose of this meeting.” Brasikha’s voice sounded out, loudly and firmly. He did not shout, nor did he show any apparent frustration as his avatar stepped forward into the middle of the digital space. This time, they had made sure all delegates received the proper language updates before they joined, so everyone would be able to understand him clearly. He had not drawn attention to himself at first, but now he would not be waiting on introductions before taking his place in the meeting. It would not take long for him to be recognized, whether naturally or with computer assistance. The Rahn’Saki had always used intermediaries, like diplomats or Datius before, but the face of Brasikha the Eternal Guardian was still a public one.

Brasikha did not place himself directly between the Qalian-Vosh and the Tindrel, but the way he stood in the middle of the virtual chamber did draw the eye and seemed to interspace himself between them. His stance was firm, and his voice unflinching. Others could use the flexibility of a virtual space to take liberties with their own physical features, like size, but Brasikha felt no need to exaggerate his stature. He knew exactly where he stood.

“The complexities of your conflicts with one another are not going to be solved in one conversation, nor shall we attempt to. We are here because a crisis has presented itself that extends to all of us, and that crisis is drawing us to the Psi-Helios system. The presence of both of you is required.” With a thought from Brasikha, a set of holographic documents appeared in front of both the Tindrel and Qalian-Vosh. “This documentation details our encounters with hostile machines of unknown origins that have been encountered near the edges of our territory. Please take a moment to familiarize yourselves with them. We cannot give any certain answers on their purpose or true capabilities, but our investigation is leading us to Psi-Helios. For our security and yours, we need to be able to continue this investigation.”

The Cradle

There was some degree of agreement between the parties, at least. Of course, they still needed to bring their proposition to the Tindrel and Qalian-Vosh. The negotiations with Earth could come at a later time. Ironically, given the history between them, it would likely be more difficult for Outremer’s government to negotiate with their fellow Humans than anyone else. For now, though, they could at least bring the other two species to the negotiating table.

All parties to the meeting had been alerted ahead of time of, in general terms, what the meeting would be about and who would be present. There were few surprises when the representatives gathered, except, perhaps, that the “Rothian representative” was Brasikha himself. Outremer had twice now met with a member of the Rahn’Saki, but being that they had been closed meetings, the fact that the Rahn’Saki were now willing to deal directly with outsiders would come as a surprise. As opposed to the group of representatives from different departments and organizations that Outremer brought, the Rothians had only Brasikha and Rareth. Though, Rareth was taking a backseat in this meeting. Certainly, it was rare for a Datius to fade into the background, but if there was anything that could overshadow them, it would be the Rahn’Saki.

As the Humans were the hosts of this meeting, Brasikha gave them the courtesy of taking the lead to start them off. In the interim, Rareth had taken some time to review some relevant documents on the situation at hand, though Brasikha had not seemed to do…anything. At all. Granted, they were in a virtual space, but their avatars simply showed what they were doing in realspace. Brasikha, when he was not engaging with anyone else, could be…remarkably still.

The Cradle

“And so we reach the core of the problem.” Brasikha responded. “Outremer is always…alone. You may not cut yourself off completely from the outside, but you still place more barriers than bridges to other nations. When Rothia reached the stars, we found ourselves alone. Of all the civilizations we know of in our little corner of the universe, we were the first to start settling the galaxy. But as we explored, made contact, found others, we sought to connect with them, to understand them, to integrate our civilizations. Your fears do not come from nothing. It is natural for any species to covet power for themselves. Power gives them greater ability to determine their own fate; it is why you are protective of it. But, in our centuries of diplomacy and observation, we have come to understand their desires, their capabilities, their limits. They covet power, like anyone else, but they will not destroy themselves for it.”

With a thought, Brasikha brought forward another hologram, one rather dense with information. It was a representation of the galaxy, marked with both political and unofficial boundaries showing territories, concentrations of ships and other military assets, settled planets, sources of resources, and trade routes. “It is debatable whether any of these factions could even defeat Outremer’s substantial defenses alone. Not without great losses. To challenge both of us together would be impossible for them. In order to make war upon two militaries they cannot defeat would also require taking on ruinous economic sanctions for their actions. And for every nation that agrees to our terms to join our alliance, the consequences of aggression against us becomes even more dire. Beyond that, we may offer incentives for accepting. The Rahn’Saki have never entered into any promise of military aid before, but for this crisis, we have judged the measure to be acceptable.”

For a moment, there was a pause, and what might have even been a shred of satisfaction in the Rothian’s expression. “But the most impactful incentive could come from you. I believe you have an expression for this…’you catch more flies with honey than vinegar’. If you wish to satisfy outside jealousy over the Cradle, we would recommend integrating their scientists into our team as you have for us. Give them a way to learn of the Cradle peacefully and violence will be unnecessary. Laughable, even, for all the risk it would carry for them. Their skills and perspectives may even be useful in this project. They will make technological gains from the concession of partial access, certainly, but not as much as you with full access. You will retain your advantage with the Cradle, while providing a powerful incentive for these other nations to accept our alliance, lest they fall behind their peers.”

The Cradle

“A dramatic, but vague answer.” Brasikha replied. He was not intent on letting them change the subject before they had come to some agreement, one way or another. “How, precisely, do you anticipate that you will lose your independence? Do you fear invasion? Economic isolation? Alone, these concerns perhaps could be valid. But I do not think you realize what it is the Rahn’Saki are proposing. These concerns, petty divisions, will only serve to weaken us at a time when we must be united. It is time, we believe, for the Rahn’Saki to pursue closer ties between all of our species. What we are proposing is to sign a defensive pact between all nations of this accord. If you want security for your people’s future, then there is no better path.”

What the Rahn’Saki were proposing was no symbolic gesture nor minor appeasement to their concerns. To agree to a defensive pact would be a greater commitment of military force than the galaxy had ever seen from the Rothians. They had been famously reluctant to commit to any military promises in the past, but for a defensive pact, all signatories would be required to defend any member nation should they be attacked. To declare war on Outremer would be to declare war on Rothia, and of course, every other nation would also receive the same benefit. Having the most advanced fleet in the galaxy willing to come to their defense would be a tempting reason to sign. If two major military superpowers, Rothia and Outremer, were already agreeing to forming this alliance, then any nation that did not join would be placing themselves at a severe political disadvantage.

The Cradle

Once again, Brasikha’s response came almost startlingly quickly. “You speak of my ancient title. It was a title of a man who saw in his mind a clear future. A title that speaks of military conquest. Of domination. It was the title of a man who would bring order to chaos, and it was the title of a man who lacked perspective.”

Though he still acted aware of the others, there was still a somewhat unnerving stare from him towards Hale. “The perspective of time is one of my perspectives, yes. The one often associated with Rothians. For me, it has felt like nations rise and fall as if with the tides. I have seen the cycle play out repeatedly among Rothians, Humans, and most other intelligent species. They do not all share the same cause, of course, but self-interest even in the face of disaster is one that repeats. It has never been the way of the Rahn’Saki to intercede in the waxing and waning of alien civilizations. You have the right to determine your own course as much as we do. But, this crisis threatens more than you.”

Finally, there was just a slight pause, and for the briefest of moments, it seemed like he might have actually been thinking. Though, the delay was still short-lived. “Before I continue, I would ask you this: what exactly is it that you fear to lose should the other species learn of the potential threat we have identified in the form of the Hegemon?”

Halo: Aegis Team

Vael 'Virisusai

---

Now that they were back on the Blockade Runner, there was not much time left to wait. The ship was invisible to sensors, but unlike some other capital ships, it did not possess active camouflage. While mostly irrelevant in space, once they came near enough to the Keep, they would be spotted by anyone who looked up. They had just disabled the only weapon in range that could destroy the ship quickly, but the city still had other anti-air defenses. The Blockade Runner would only have time to get in, blast open the outer walls, then deploy their strike force before it would have to fall back out of range. Aside from some light close air support, this would have to be a quick, decisive armored assault.

Finally, a ship-wide alert sounded and the crew started rushing to battle stations. They were closing in on the Keep. Vael had re-equipped himself for the battle ahead. He changed his armor equipment, swapping active camouflage for a jetpack. With the verticality of urban combat, the mobility could be life-saving. He kept his plasma rifle and swords, as usual, but exchanged his carbine for a plasma caster. Similar to a concussion rifle, its explosive firepower would be useful against both vehicles and entrenched infantry positions.

Human and Sangheili both were taking part in this assault. Swords of Sanghelios warriors were quicker to react to the alert, but once they had their orders from their officers, the Human marines were quick to rush to their vehicles. Scorpions and wraiths would comprise the core of their armored column, supported by warthogs, ghosts, spectres, and banshees above.

”To your vehicles!” Vael ordered as he jumped up onto a wraith and climbed into its turret.

The Cradle

Brasikha did not hesitate for even a moment, not even requiring time to think, seemingly, before he could give his answer. “Your fortress stands alone, as it always has. Sequestered, strong, but solitary. You have shown yourself adept at protecting yourselves, but will you protect others? For our allies, that shall be a vital question.”

With a wave of his hand, Brasikha brought up a screens with relevant notes about the Hegemon in front of each of the committee members. “We know precious little about our foe, but what we do know is revealing. It seeks not destruction, but domination. The reverence and service of life to itself to ends unknown. Life does not always fight to the death. In fact, it tends towards survival more often than not. To fight that instinct, to take risks in spite of death beyond the resolve of mere animals requires conviction. It requires belief in a cause worth risking a life. The time may come when our enemy forces a choice between servitude and extinction upon our allies. If we lie to our allies, manipulate them, treat them as servants instead of partners, then what makes us any better masters than the machines? What makes our cause, our fight for self-determination, worth dying for to them?”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

For most of the clan’s survivors, they would have the time they needed to rest and recover in the Hunting Grounds, while the rest worked on moving everything essential back through the portal to Mundus. The Dominion and Imperial troops were the first back through. They moved to the orders of their superiors with discipline and precision, but even among them, one could see the exhilaration of victory. They had fought a battle against a Daedric Prince, and were walking away as survivors. The lycans had been fighting this war for much longer than either of the other factions, so for them, it was almost hard to believe that it could be over. Though, there were few other forms of closure more complete than being able to see the spirits they had saved, to speak to them, and to know that all of their effort, everything they had sacrificed, had meant something in the end.

When the time finally came, Fendros’ pack went back through the portal together. Back to their home. It had only been a few days since they had last seen it, but for many, it felt like it had been much longer. The Silent City itself likely felt rather barren at the moment, as most of the non-combatants who had stayed behind were now outside the walls to greet their returning friends and family. It was a bittersweet sight, in truth. There was little that could match the relief and joy from seeing loved ones return safely. They did not yet have a full accounting of their casualties, though. There were many waiting here who would not find the reunion they were looking for.

Kaleeth was with the pack now. The ability for a werecrocodile to recover from injury was something spectacular, though this time, it was never going to be quite the same for her again. She was with Janius, leaning on him to help her walk when they heard a familiar shout amid the roar of the crowd around them. As soon as he had spotted his parents, Julan pushed through anything in his way to rush to meet them. It was hard to tell if he even noticed Kaleeth’s injury for the moment, because his shouts and joyous tears at seeing them both alive overshadowed anything else he might have been feeling. He rushed to them and nearly knocked them over when he grabbed them both to pull into a hug. He said something as he reached them, but it was incomprehensible through his tears.