Work Text:
"How is it that your clan seems to be the largest on the whole planet?"
The Arbiter tilted his head, pondering the best reply for the situation. Before he could make up his mind, the woman who asked shook her head.
"Right. A bit obvious. Same reason we're here now."
He gave a purr as he leaned against the platform's railing. "I wasn't entirely about to say that."
"But you were thinking it."
"If you could read my thoughts," the Arbiter began, clicking his mandibles with amusement. "You'd know that smaller, older clans would often unite in order to grow stronger. If not peacefully, then with conquest. Vadam State is the product of hundreds of thousands of years of Sangheili coming together under the same name, under the same crest."
"And now I'll be the first human among them."
He nodded. "Precisely."
She sighed, staring at the sight of Sanghelios before them. The ship floated over the region that the state of Vadam encompassed, giving them a beautiful view from the recreational center. It was a planet she would've never imagined visiting; save for maybe to attack it just as her people's planets were decimated by the one standing by her, but that was no longer necessary. At least, now that she of all humans - Miranda Keyes - was here.
"Do you think your mother will like me?"
Snorting, the Arbiter asked, "Out of all the Sangheili you'll have to win over, she's the one you're most worried about? Smart..."
Miranda smiled and pressed her palms against the railing, leaning forwards. "Well, given you'll have no chance with mine, I might as well be."
"I don't know about your kind," the familiar gruff of Sergeant Avery Johnson cut in. The couple turned back to the newcomer. "But we take in-laws very seriously. And by that, I mean, we suck in our breaths, take what they dish out, and grumble to the spouse about it later."
"I will keep that in mind." Nodding, the Arbiter glanced back to Miranda. "You have nothing to fear, however. My mother, when not keeping things in order, is also a gracious woman."
"I look forward to meeting her, then." Miranda nodded back. "And the whole keep."
Johnson cleared his throat. "Better not keep them all waiting. C'mon, lovebirds."
The man swung on his heels back towards the steps, expecting the two to follow. They would, of course; but not before a momentary glance back at each other.
Lovebirds. It was a simple tease. Johnson could get away with it, even to the Arbiter. He was the closest friend and ally they had - on the human's side, that is. And he knew full well...
How... complicated, this arrangement was.
September 2554
"Arranging a marriage? Remind me what year it is again..."
"You realize people still do arranged marriages, right?" one of their bodyguards replied.
"You serious?" Johnson turned back to them. "Who?"
"Upper class quadrillionaires."
"You said people-"
"And the Sangheili," Miranda cut in sharply. "It's not exactly a popular plan, but we're running out of options here."
The two year anniversary of the Human-Covenant War's end was months away, yet it felt like a new war had taken hold of the galaxy since 2552. Hostilities between humans and aliens - and aliens with other aliens - weren't expected to just disappear overnight, of course. And yet, the fact that Miranda still had to send soldiers to their deaths when, officially, things were "over"...
The Insurrection was back in full force. Covenant remnants popped up to fill the void of the fallen empire. New xenophobic terrorist groups threatened any inter-species peace talks and projects, chasing the idea of total supremacy as if it'd make all the loss go away. No species had come out of the war unscathed - some even worse off than others - and in-fighting only caused further setbacks in trying to heal.
Still, Miranda had to keep some hope up - she had to. Against all the odds, she and Johnson had made it back from the Ark, despite facing a few close calls that surely should've ended them. Especially given that the same couldn't be said for the soldier that arguably mattered more than them - the Master Chief, John-117. Officially, he was listed as "MIA". And honestly everyone hoped that the mantra "Spartans never die" really did hold some merit.
Really could do with his help right about now. Would things still be so desperate, then?
"So, do we know who the, uh, lucky human is going to be?" one of the soldiers escorting them asked.
Miranda shook her head at him. "That's what will be discussed at this meeting."
"And we can't solidify an alliance any other way?" the one girl among them asked.
"We already have an alliance. But without something extra, like blood ties, it still won't be respected among the dissenting Sangheili clans." Miranda paused, then added, "It'll piss off dissenting humans, but at least we'll have more of an excuse to crack down on them."
"I still feel bad for whoever's gotta do it. It's not just the usual political sacrifice. They'll have to re-shape their whole life..."
They stopped at the doors to the meeting room. From there, the marines would have to stay outside as Miranda and Johnson spoke with those gathered inside. This would include Fleet Admiral Lord Hood, Admiral Parangosky, President Charet, and other representatives of the governing and military forces of humanity. With such a line-up, it seemed odd that a Commander and a Sergeant Major were called to attend. Maybe it was because of their hero status, having played major roles in ending the war. Or it could've been their familiarity with the Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam, and working with the Sangheili in general during those last weeks of battle.
Either way, it should've been considered a blessing. Yet, with what Miranda's learned since being forced out of the battlefield and into the back-drop world of political affairs...
She turned to give the marines one final, curt reply before disappearing behind the doors.
"That's just politics for you."
October 2554
Relationships are diverse, being started for a plethora of reasons, with beginnings varying between couple to couple. Miranda herself groaned when the romance novels of her earlier youth came to mind: stories she and her classmates would hail as fantasy-inducing material of what their ideal futures would be. Surprisingly, the idea that her future match might first be out for her blood wasn't written off as not an option in her adolescent brain. Those kinds of novels definitely earned her a lengthy lecture from her father, when he found out just what "they were teaching her".
Well, what irony this was. Not only was the man she was set to marry one who tried to kill her the first time they locked eyes, he was also the former-Covenant Supreme Commander that indirectly caused Captain Jacob Keyes' death. It was almost just like an "Enemies to Lover" teen lit. novel. Almost like Romeo and Juliet, or a mafia bad boy romance, or - god forgive her - monster erotica.
Thankfully, the two were more professional than that. Despite the rocky start, the two (and Johnson, Chief and Cortana) had put differences aside to stop the firing of Delta Halo. Later on they'd go on to defend Earth, end the Covenant, destroy the Flood, and (try to) unite their respective peoples in a post-war alliance. Sometimes, during their political meetings of 2553 and 2554, Miranda completely forgot about their scuffle with the Index. To be fair, it was almost as if the Arbiter Thel 'Vadam was a completely different person entirely from Arbiter Thel 'Vadam ee - much less the same person as Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadamee.
So, would that make this Enemies to Friends to Lovers? Or did they invent some subcategory involving professional acquaintances or political allies?
It doesn't matter how we feel about it. All that matters is that with our union, the rest of the galaxy might follow...
That's what she told everyone every time they asked her about the arrangement.
"How do you feel about all of this, Commander Keyes?"
"You can't be serious about doing this, Commander Keyes..."
"Isn't there any other way, Commander Keyes?"
"How brave of you, Commander Keyes..."
"A traitor to humanity, Commander Keyes!"
"What would your father-"
She turned her attention to the craft that recently departed from slipspace and stopped next to the UNSC Infinity. A Coven- A Swords of Sanghelios cruiser, she corrected immediately. The name of it currently eluded her. All that was important to her was that it was not the cruiser she knew by heart now - the Shadow of Intent , Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum's ship. It'd been quite some time since she'd seen it and, by now, it held a semblance of familiarity - and dare she think it, alleviation? Then again, Infinity was also definitely not In Amber Clad or Forward Unto Dawn .
However, Shadow of Intent had been rendered combat ineffective back in April when it got into a conflict with one of the Covenant remnants. It was one of the worst factions too - the ever-growing one led by a Sangheili named Jul 'Mdama. ONI directed most of their post-war concerns towards him. Which she could understand, as the Arbiter had interacted with him prior during a clan meeting and mentioned some qualities that made 'Mdama a powerful, successful leader. Most "Covenant" these days just craved to recreate the highs of their former glory - 'Mdama seemed like one of the rare few with the competency to pull it off.
They needed to sway more Sangheili support to their alliance.
With this in mind, Miranda stepped away from the window and towards the ship's hangar. She had no doubt that when it came to the betrothed couple getting along, she and the Arbiter already had that covered. They knew how to be civil with each other, in spite of all that occurred during the war and between them personally. Then again...that was when they had to meet to discuss political matters or the occasional battle plan. She'd heard that "romantic" dynamics could be quite different from "friendly" ones - that some who could get along as friends might not be able to coexist under the same roof 24/7 as partners. Moving from one step in the relationship to another could also reveal hidden bits of the other person that wasn't shown before. Might they be underestimating how big of a test of their patience this plan would be?
No, she had to remember that both of them want the best for their respective species. And if it really did turn out that this arrangement was leading her to a stabbing in the back or a miserable future..well, she would just have to comfort herself with the same thought that kept her going on the battlefield: she did her best and others would avenge her.
So, upon first sight of the familiar Sangheili, her plan was to smile, greet, and move on with her orders for the rest of the day.
Which brought her to the first wall...as aliens started to appear in the hangar, she realized that she couldn't spot the Arbiter. There was no sign of his signature armor - in either silver or bronze. For a moment, her chest clenched with unease. Even though she tried to tell herself that it might just be taking him a bit longer to come out, the fact that she was waiting longer than usual only brought concerned questions to mind. Was this a message? Had he backed out? Or did something happen to him?
A Sangheili in a golden ceremonial armor with a matching cape caught sight of her and moved to approach. Holding her position, she waited for the stranger to reach her and announce whatever it was she needed to hear from him.
When she heard his voice, though, she realized her assessment of "stranger" was far off.
"Commander Keyes, it is always a pleasure to meet with you."
This was the Arbiter! He had simply put on a completely different set of armor than the one she was used to seeing him in. Now that this situation forced her to think about it...that Arbiter armor was the only reason she could spot him in a crowd of Sangheili, wasn't it? It was harder to point out specific Sangheili without that armor or voice recognition - save for rare exceptions, like the Shipmaster and his obvious facial difference.
Dear god. I'm set to live the rest of my life with a man I can't even recognize when he changes.
To add further injury, she had been careless with her facial expressions and unintentionally gave herself away.
"Is there something wrong, Commander?" His amber eyes - a common feature of Sangheili, not something that'll help her in the future - remained fixated on her as his head slanted slightly.
She cleared her throat to help re-situate her thoughts. "No, nothing major. I just...didn't realize it was you at first."
There was a rumbling within him - something she rarely heard. "Yes...I should've expected it'd be a surprise. I have only ever worn the armor of the Arbiter around humans."
"And I should've realized you don't wear that armor 24/7...I'm sorry for worrying you."
"There is no need," he said, returning to a relaxed posture. "You are not the only one in the galaxy who will have to get used to this new armor. For sometime now, I have been known only as 'the Arbiter'. To humans, to Sangheili, to others...as I continue to make appearances and attend meetings, I hope to return to my image as a Kaidon.
"But I realize I should've done this sooner with humanity, given your kind can have...difficulties in recognizing individual Sangheili and learning our proper terms."
Miranda recalled the days of fumbling over herself every time she slipped out "Elite" instead of "Sangheili". There were some that still chose not to put in the effort like she did. And even more that did change to something else - just a worse name than before…Yes, this was a change she'd have to adjust to, but she had succeeded in that department in the past. No need to sound any alarm bells. Things were still progressing smoothly.
Yet, as the two continued to converse as Miranda did the tour she was ordered to do, she couldn't help but ponder something about the future. Regular relationships were built up over time, but they would be diving into the biggest steps right away. Not just getting married - she'd be moving into Vadam Keep, living with him and his family from now on, with further expectations of staying by each other's side. This was a lot to ask. Not just because years before, they had been on opposite ends of a war. Since that war ended, they interacted with carefully practiced patience and tactful politeness - something stiffer and more cautious when compared to how she behaved in a casual setting, even more so than when being intimate. She realized she hardly had a vision of what a casual Arbiter could be like - even back during the lulls of war, he would approach her with respect due to her higher status. And since she was usually almost always busy, even when an active skirmish wasn't going on, she never caught a glimpse of how he behaved around her troops - people he didn't need to hold in high regard.
Could they make that leap? Could they land it so perfectly as to convince the public that coexistence - on any level - was possible?
Well...it'd be about two months until the first of the ceremonies, so they'd have that long to figure it out. And plenty of people built up intimate relationships from the ground up in that amount of time, right? As long as she viewed this as the mission it was, she could pull it off.
December 4th, 2554
One fatal flaw in Miranda's plan revealed itself in the two months they had to prepare: given how much of her life she had dedicated to the war and rebuilding afterwards, she had never had the time to learn how to date even with another human. The last time she had given serious thought to the prospect had been in childhood. There had been some experimentation in school...but at some point, her attention turned to the desperate situation the Human-Covenant War was becoming, so thoughts of future marriage and family honestly...hadn't been a priority to her anymore. On some days, it felt like it wasn't even a possibility. She had been so focused on work that she didn't even realize she had forgotten about that potential path in life.
It also didn't help that she had a front-row seat in watching how her parents' marriage went...
At least Thel and I won't have to worry about a child getting caught up in the cross-hairs...right?
There was one more week until they both would be married for all of humanity to see. They specifically chose December 11th as it would be the anniversary of the official end of the Human-Covenant War. After that, they would go to Sanghelios for a second ceremony focused on Sangheili customs. Then...that would be it. She would be staying there, only leaving for special occasions. The only human she'd have any excuse for visiting was someone she'd never want to see...although, ONI probably wouldn't have allowed it anyway, so she would continue as if that person died on Reach. Or even earlier than that.
In the two months they had, Miranda had made strides in preparing herself for what was to come. She trained herself to refer to the Arbiter by his actual name and Thel was beginning to do the same for her. They shared a room on the Infinity, although they still used separate beds for the time-being. Some bridges just wouldn't get crossed for awhile. As the wedding grew closer, their days were filled with more and more practice. Thel needed to be taught all the proper customs and what he'd be doing as the groom. She needed to be prepped as the bride, too, but not to the same degree as the one alien involved. So many fittings and small planning decisions.
And oh...Avery Johnson and his infinite wisdom of easing tension by throwing a sudden bachelor's party. "Well, it's my job as the best man!" he had said when Miranda found out afterwards. Which...wasn't entirely off. It had been decided to appoint Johnson as the best man - with final approval from Thel, of course - as he was a human man with a decent relationship with the Arbiter and wouldn't require as much training as an alien best man would've. To be further fair to Johnson, she had heard that the bachelor's party had resulted in some pleasant interactions that both humans and Sangheili enjoyed. Still, the thought of what dumb, drunken activities he'd forced the aliens to do or watch gave her second-hand embarrassment. It was weird to picture the aliens that had once been their enemies doing anything like that. It might never not be weird to picture.
Miranda also declined the offer for her own bachelorette's party.
Although...maybe she should've reconsidered. Time was running short and the impending doom lurking in the back of her skull wouldn't go away. She didn't feel even remotely ready for the ceremony, for the one after that, for the future ahead. She didn't feel ready to become Thel's bride. A part of her felt like she wasn't ready to become a bride at all. They were on a first-name basis now. They were sharing a room. They were spending any moment not dedicated to wedding preparation or political meetings to spend time in each other's exclusive company. It just wasn't working for her, though. She couldn't get her brain to exit out of "maintain diplomatic relations" mode. Which made her feel worse, because it seemed like he was really trying to make her comfortable! If this was a betrothal between humans, maybe she would've gotten past that hurtle by now. But the reminder of just who he was and the deeper meaning of all this fanfare wouldn't leave her mind.
She blamed how hard she worked during the war. She'd been reminiscing on childhood recently, but Miranda also realized she stopped having one a little early. When the gravity of the war and her parents' duty in it clicked in her young brain, she had gone for pre-enlistment and then straight into active duty as fast as she could. Miranda Keyes had taken the title of "youngest" for multiple milestones.
That was actually something that had come up in conversation recently - talking about military history, tip-toeing around certain awkward details, was one of the few topics that Thel and Miranda could discuss decently between each other. It seemed they had some similarities in their career. Both of them came from esteemed lineages that made them stand out amongst their peers - sometimes to the point of jealousy and accusations of nepotism. Both of them started their ascent up the rankings at a faster pace than most, even achieving high ranks at younger ages. They each had at least one moment in their early career where they pulled off a bold maneuver that got them attention - while also coming back with few survivors. When Thel brought up the Rubble, Miranda had to stop him as she realized the story was familiar. She ended up recounting her father's side of the exact same event. 'Vadamee and Captain Keyes had apparently crossed paths even earlier than the first Halo Ring.
Later on, when it became more comfortable to talk about, they did the same for that story as well. However, bringing up the Fall of Reach was still too difficult for her to manage...for maybe more reasons than Miranda liked to admit. It wasn't just the worst military loss humanity had faced, nearly bringing them to the edge of extinction if it were not for the Halos and Ark developments. It was also her home planet. She hadn't lived there for many of her childhood years, but it still meant a lot to her. And...for some time, there was an additional element to that loss. Before she had gotten news of her father's death, she had been informed of somebody else's. Someone she hadn't expected to feel a pang of sadness for until she believed they were gone forever.
And then the news was leaked to her after the war’s end that Doctor Catherine Halsey was indeed found alive, arrested for treason and other war crimes. Suddenly, that grief went away. While her father had lost his life on Halo, while she nearly died a few times, while the Master Chief stayed behind on the Ark - Catherine Halsey had abducted Spartans and tried to hide out the rest of humanity's potential end on a Forerunner shield world that she originally wasn't going to inform the UNSC about. It was a development worse than being an absent mother. The leaker that thought Miranda deserved to know should've realized that believing Halsey was still dead was a better outcome than learning about that . It was almost as worse as when Miranda had uncovered what some of Halsey's past "work" was...
Miranda had once tried to mend things - sending out an invitation to a promotion ceremony - but Halsey had proved then that she hadn't cared.
So when Miranda had returned to her room that evening and had found a vase of flowers suddenly arrived that day, she was left utterly confused by the letter that came with it. It was unsigned, but it didn't take long for her to piece together who it was from. This was how she spoke. These were details only she would know. And only that woman would need to be asking forgiveness like this.
"Unfortunately, due to these circumstances, I can only send you this letter. I will be watching the ceremony when it is broadcast. You will always have my support, Miranda. You always have."
When Thel arrived a bit later, he was thrown off at the sight of shredded paper on the floor, flowers in the trash, and Miranda strangling one of her pillows.
"Should...I have not accepted that on your behalf?"
There was a groan-ish sigh against the pillow. "It's alright. You couldn't have known."
He tilted his head, but decided that asking for more details now was...not a good idea.
December 11th, 2554
As Miranda prepared to walk down the aisle, she pushed down the thought that among the billions watching via broadcast, a certain "dead" scientist was definitely not in ONI custody with eyes on her. Instead, she replaced it with the equally depressing thought that instead of Captain Jacob Keyes, the man escorting her down would be Admiral Lord Hood. She figured there would be many already familiar with her name that would also be thinking about that...and the irony of the groom's involvement in that fact.
She hadn't seen Thel in nearly 24 hours - mainly due to the tradition of concealing the bride in her gown before the ceremony. When she first stepped out and could see the whole venue, she nearly missed a cue when she caught a glimpse of the Sangheili in a traditional wedding tuxedo...or, as best they could tailor one to a Sangheili physique. For a second, she thought she saw a sign on his face that he was equally stunned, but it could've just been her imagination or a misinterpretation from being so far away.
There had been a few rehearsals so they each would know what to do and say. Somebody else ghost-wrote their vows for PR purposes. It was also decided to remove the "speak now or forever hold your peace" bit, to avoid any drama regarding objections. As long as she focused on completing the motions and lines, this would go on swimmingly. And for a while, it was...
They had passed the "I do's" and were at the final stretch when it happened.
"With the power vested in me, I now pronounce-"
BANG!
Miranda had felt her body move a fraction of a second before she heard the sound. She was pulled forwards harshly and twisted partially around. A warm, leathery body engulfed her. The familiar scent of Sangheili blood reached her nose - something she hadn't smelt in years.
Turning her head to see better, she saw a figure from a balcony trying to run. Her eyes lowered to see an arm in front of her, a bloody hole within it. She put two-and-two together and realized that Thel had just barely noticed the sniper in time to shield her.
The assassins had planned ahead in the event of the initial attempt failing, though. While the initial shot had caused many to scream, duck, and even attempt fleeing, more gunfire was exchanged as some in the crowd - and even among security - revealed themselves as Sapien Sunrise. Those terrorists had still managed to slip under their noses, all because a few of their own had been sympathetic to this sabotage plot all along.
However, if the Arbiter held any offense or resentment for that failure, he wasn't showing it now. Instead, he covered Miranda up further with his own body.
"These cowards' aim is to kill you. That cannot be allowed!" he said, laced with a low growl. "Follow me to the exit, then continue on to safety."
There was no room for refusal. Her feet were just barely dangling off the ground as he basically carried her - making his order of "follow me" kind of pointless. For a moment, Miranda was in a stupor. In under a minute, her brain had nearly been blown out and now she was being carried by the one who had prevented that.
Thel found she had suddenly gotten harder to carry as she tried to regain her footing. "Hold on - you mean, continue on alone?!"
His own strength easily fought against her attempt. "Yes. I will stop the assassins from reaching you."
"You are also a priority target, idiot!" She grit her teeth. "In fact, there's even more to lose if they kill you!"
"I've endured plenty of human bullets before."
"With armor!"
"Sorry pal, I have to agree with the wife," another voice cut in. Johnson was now behind them, although his head and gun were pointed back towards the hostiles around the venue. "You keep on evacuating, and we'll take care of the party-crashers."
"I might have been the groom of this ceremony," Thel continued to protest. "But I am also a warrior! I will not run as my life and hers are threatened by-"
"Listen, any assassins show up at your people's wedding, you can do what you want. But the Arbiter cutting through humans - regardless of context - ain't gonna look good here, anyway."
Miranda's hand clasped onto the bloody arm around him. "You've already done more than enough here. Please, just join the evacuation."
She felt a rumble, which she assumed was some sort of sigh. "Fine. I can see your points. But if any of them choose to follow-"
Johnson waved his free hand while he fired a few shots at a head darting from above cover. "Yeah, yeah, you'll get to kill those guys. Just go already!"
By the time the two had reached where other figures like Lord Hood were escaping, Thel had placed Miranda back on the ground and allowed her to walk on her own feet for the rest of the way. Her head was still racing from all that occurred - including how quickly the Arbiter had gotten protective of her at the first turn of the tides.
Clearing her throat, she realized there was something else she had to say. "Thanks...for taking the bullet for me back there. Is it-"
"Why?"
She paused. "Why...?"
He looked back at her with a hard expression as he clarified. "Why thank me?"
"Because...you saved my life? And got yourself hurt in the process?"
"But an action like that should be expected. You are my wife now. You do not need to thank me for aid anymore. Because I will always be at your side."
"Ah..." she nodded. "Right. It was just instinctive of me to..."
Fortunately, they were back in the company of others, who interrupted the conversation and stole their attention. The distraction allowed for Miranda to recollect herself and return to her normal demeanor.
For a little while longer, she could avoid addressing her incomplete acceptance of her new situation.
January 2554
Luckily, everything else on the humans' side of the arrangement went well after the Sapien Sunrise members were all either captured or neutralized. Knowing that other sudden developments could arise, they continued to progress through the marriage plan at a speedier pace. The couple had left Earth and human space as soon as the ceremony was over - and once they arrived at Sanghelios, they would immediately be thrown into the throes of the second ceremony preparation. Then, with only a little bit of time to rest before, Miranda would be put through training for her upcoming role as the kaidon's wife. In her focus on all the wedding bits, what her marriage to Thel would entail beyond diplomacy completely slipped her mind.
Over the course of the slipspace travel, Miranda attempted to get used to sharing a bed with Thel. They would still lay with some distance between them, but the incident at the altar seemed to have been a good sudden push towards the idea of intimacy between them. Conversations like the one in the recreational center, looking down at the view of Sanghelios were also helping. Hell, even Johnson's "lovebird" teases were slowly making the reality easier to swallow.
During all that time, Miranda had also identified a possible hurdle to her attempts at intimacy. After the meeting with Thel's mother, she realized the band-aid she'd have to rip. There was no way this arrangement was going to truly work if she couldn't let herself be...vulnerable.
So, on the first night since their arrival in Sanghelios, Miranda brought up the flower vase incident.
"She's officially listed as a casualty of Reach," she explained. "There was no way ONI would've let her potentially be seen at a televised event. So she chose to send that instead..."
"And it upset you?"
"I...really don't want her in my life anymore..."
Feeling a larger hand wrap around her own, Miranda looked up to see Thel nod. "Then I will help you keep it that way. And if there are any other troubles you need my assistance in, know that I will listen."
Her hand squeezed his back. "I'll make sure to keep that in mind, going forward."
Miranda honestly had no idea if their arranged marriage would work in encouraging peace in the galaxy. She also was still unsure if she could pull off living in a Sangheili keep, as the kaidon's wife, for the rest of her life. But...with every day that the second ceremony grew closer, she felt a little more confident that at least things might work out between her and Thel.
October 2558
A Pelican descended near the Swords of Sanghelios camp. Not many ships were able to fly after the Guardian knocked out power to the entire planet. Warriors prepared for a potential attack, but Commander Palmer, Sergeant Johnson, and Doctor Halsey stepped towards it with less concern. They were already expecting who it was that stepped out.
Both Spartan teams - Blue and Osiris - had returned from Genesis. They were greeted by their fellow humans first, but the Arbiter soon approached to reunite with his old ally. The Master Chief introduced him to the rest of Blue Team and the Arbiter declared a feast in honor of their victories - as well as an excuse to catch up.
Now, even before they had made it to Sanghelios, the Chief had been informed of the presence of "Lady Vadam". Mainly with the context of how hard it was to keep Halsey in the Swords of Sanghelios camp because of apparent history between herself and the Lady. In fact, while he had mostly been busy with completing mission-after-mission, even he couldn't avoid rumors that a human had been arranged to marry the Arbiter.
He just hadn't heard who that human was.
So when they all sat to eat and he saw Miranda Keyes had arrived to sit by the Arbiter's side...Oh yes. There was a lot of catching up that needed to be done that night.