Chapter Text
May 30th, 2560
The fleet was small, but Thel hoped it would be enough. The moment they picked up the signal, all ships that survived the latest fight with the Severan-led Banished had made the jump to follow the coordinates. It took a few days, but they had finally found it: the lost Zeta Halo. The last known location of UNSC Infinity, the Master Chief, Cortana, and Atriox.
For six months, no one knew what had become of their confrontation, beyond the fact that they were MIA from the rest of the galaxy - and opportunity arose from that. People tried to reclaim their lives and worlds from the Created, as its remaining lesser lords tried desperately to resuscitate the empire. The Banished got even more aggressive under Severan, who was more certain, with every passing month that Atriox remained gone, that bloody vengeance was necessary. The UNSC were forced to try and reckon with this two-front war for humanity's continued existence without its greatest ship and soldier.
And Thel had to be patient. Patient with his contemporaries as the cycle of galactic war waxed and waned once again, despite all his efforts the past decade to move the Sangheili beyond it. Patient with how often misfortune and chaos cropped up, such as the struggle for Suban. Patient with the lack of news - the lack of confirmation. Was Cortana truly gone? Was Atriox?
Was he?
Six months of being uncertain of how an entire battle played out was nothing compared to four years of grappling if one man was dead or not. Atriox and Cortana would test the Master Chief in different ways, but Thel had to maintain faith they'd be the latest of a long line of obstacles the Spartan would overcome. Too much had been survived for this to be the end of him. Thel had witnessed the prowess that built the Master Chief's legend first hand; that should be helping his ability to hope.
Were it so easy, Thel reminded himself. It's what got him through four years of uncertainty, lamentation, and regret - it would get him through another six months.
But maybe he would consider asking John not to go MIA a third time.
At the sight of the dirt and sky, John continued his run out of the Repository. In his ear sounded the voice of the Weapon.
"We made it. Now all we need to do is- wait. I'm picking up something on all Banished frequencies. That... that is not good."
Where a normal human might pause their stride to take in the potential news, John just took a look at his surroundings to determine what path to take. An impromptu dirt road was ahead of the exit to the Repository.
"What's wrong?" John prompted as he decided to go down the left side, seeing that it led to an occupied outpost. Although unsure of where exactly he was - or where the Pilot was - any direction leading to firefights seemed like the best lead.
"I know where he is..." the Weapon continued, with subtle horror. "What this place is... This is where Chak 'Lok shipped his victims to. The House of Reckoning."
They'd already known, since that black-and-red blademaster appeared in the Pelican and hijacked it, that the Pilot was in for some shit. Everything they'd seen of the state of Banished-occupied Zeta Halo painted a bleak picture for captured humans. Even if they were Spartans.
The Weapon didn't need to elaborate any further. John was already on the move to eliminate the obstacle in his path and acquire any additional firepower for his latest charge against the Banished.
Yet just when he thought she was done speaking, the Weapon spoke again. "But that's not all. There's... Something else has arrived. It showed up while we were in the Repository. So far, the Banished are talking as if it's hostile to them, but..."
"The enemy of my enemy isn't always my friend," John said, with experience.
"Exactly. Let's at least hope they provide enough of a distraction for the Banished, while we get our pilot back."
It was a quick thing to liberate the outpost, freeing the captives and claiming the supplies, which included a M808 Scorpion tank and Rocket Warthog. He was just about to delegate a spread of the marines across the two vehicles - both would be useful in speeding up the trip through heavy Banished resistance - when a large shadow flew across the ground. Looking up, they saw Phantoms, but-
"Since when were the Banished a fan of orange?" the Weapon asked.
"Not their favorite color," John said as he relaxed at the sight. "But I know whose is."
One Phantom broke from the pack to turn around and land at the outpost, while the rest continued down the path to the House of Reckoning.
"Wait, you know friendly aliens?" Even as just a voice at the moment, John could hear the gawking face in the Weapon's tone. "There are friendly aliens?"
The first to exit the Phantom was a potential candidate for the title of John's "friend", but...
Things with the Arbiter were even more complicated than that. Even more complicated than someone looking at the facts of the war - that Thel was once the Supreme Commander that took down Reach before the Master Chief humiliated him at Alpha Halo - might think.
Not enough time to get into it. Not enough energy to get into it. Not enough willingness to try even if there were time and energy, potentially.
So instead he told the Weapon a simple, "Yes."
Then he accepted Thel's outstretched hand and shook it, maintaining composure as they moved up to clasping each other's forearms.
"It is good to see you," Thel said as he patted the Sangheili hand gesture of battle-brothers. Not the first time he'd done so, but it was still something to get used to. "I was hoping to join up with you at some point, but did not expect it to be so soon after descending."
"Oh my god," the Weapon continued to gasp in his ear. "I want all the details on this."
"Maybe another time," he told her, keeping his voice from projecting outside of the helmet. Then, to Thel, he said, "Good to see you too. Wasn't expecting it."
"I imagine it is the work of that luck of yours," Thel replied, just the slightest purr thrown in. "We were already away from Sanghelios when we received coordinates leading here. The moment we arrived and confirmed the lack of air battle in the sky, we made haste in locating command posts. We..." This was where some of the mirth in his voice died. "Could only identify major Banished ones, such as this place. The UNSC presence here is scattered, in smaller posts."
There was no sign of Infinity? No sign of any major UNSC presence beyond here? Just the outposts John helped liberate?
That could've just meant they were good at hiding themselves - they'd have to be to survive this long when the ring was basically the Banished's before the Master Chief returned to challenge the claim.
John chose to operate under that assumption for now. Better to think that way.
"We're working on it," John said. "I... only just got here the other day."
One of Thel's eye ridges raised - almost covered up by his helmet, but John had gotten too used to checking for those little details on his face. "Only the other day? When you left for the ring last year?"
"I was the last one to touch ground by... a lot." He shrugged. "Not my best descent time."
A thoughtful huff sounded as Thel regarded him. John's answer was vague, but the implications said all that was important: Shit had gone down. Things had gone wrong. John was trying to recover from that - starting first by undoing all that his absence had led to.
As much as he could.
And that was all Thel needed to know for the time being.
"There's something else," John continued, changing the subject back to what was truly important. "A pilot that's been working with me - he's been taken by the Banished into that place your men are headed to, the House of Reckoning. I have to get him back. He's not dead yet, but... They're torturing him. They're broadcasting it." Because of me. Because they want me and know how to get to me.
Still, Thel's mandibles only continued to let out breath, but not words. John was completely covered up in green plates and sealed visor, yet Thel's eyes knew where to look. To study. He knew the shape of John's body now and all that it was capable of. For the briefest moment, John nearly regretted letting him learn - this exact type of being perceived wasn't anything he'd been taught to handle. Not a look an enemy would ever give, not a look an ally would get to give either, and certainly anyone else would barely get to give any look to him at all. It wasn't supposed to be anything bad, except for someone like him, but now really wasn't the time for it regardless.
Just as he was wondering what this was about, the Weapon started to voice some of those doubts.
"Didn't he get the memo? That we still have time to save someone? He's speaking English, so it can't be an error with the translation software."
Thel proved just that when he nodded and spoke. "We will hasten to rescue him. I will let my men know to hold off on any plasma bombardments of the structure until we have finished inside."
We. It was when he heard the word - heard it twice - that John realized he never actually directly asked for assistance, just stated what the problem was.
They'd gotten a lot done when working together, though, and Thel was already going to storm the House anyway, so it was a no-brainer. And yet...
This type of help from Thel felt distinctively different from their alliance in the past. The answer to why was almost obvious to John, but as he was still getting used to it being real, he couldn't grasp it as anything more than their teamwork skills having vastly improved since John first landed in the jungles of Kenya.
That was a way of putting it, and the impression their combined UNSC and Swords reinforcements would undoubtedly get as the charge down the road to the House of Reckoning went on. It was one explanation for why, when John started up the Scorpion to drive it, Thel wordlessly and without any prompting hopped into the turret seat.
After all the heavy Banished resistance attempting, and failing, to impede them on the road, the lack of it at the gate to the House of Reckoning - and, indeed, it opening easily as they arrived - was a striking sign to Thel that this was all part of War Chief Escharum's plan. Otherwise, having collected bait for a trap forever unsprung would've infuriated him too much.
A simple pilot taken from the Master Chief, to have his screams broadcast as a taunt. Unless the casualties sustained were that dire, there should've been no reason for a Spartan to devote this much dedication to saving a pilot from Banished capture - to get him back alive, when so many were killed not long into their imprisonment and not always purposeful on the Banished's part.
That'd be the assumption anyone unfamiliar with the Master Chief as more than just a legend might think. It was an assumption Thel had grown past quickly, once his fall from Supreme Commander allowed him the opportunity to watch his former foe's operations up close as a participant. If there were humans on the battlefield, no matter their role or use, then they had to get out alive. Even if the mission perimeters did not specify it, the Chief always acted on it as a priority. Perhaps casualties weren't always considered a failure on his part - he must've grown wise that those things just happened sometimes, regardless of what you did - but if the Chief could do anything about it, he didn't take long to get to doing it.
Atriox was the revered leader of the Banished and the one who initiated the spark of its existence, yet Escharum's significant tactical genius was proven to Thel just by the fact that he'd quickly deduced this facet of the Master Chief without ever leaving his base. Of course the Banished had to survive on more than just Atriox's wit - needed more than just one brain to get this big and this far.
However, that wasn't what made Thel pause and stare through the visor, trying desperately to make out the eyes on the other side. At best, those quick realizations were what led to him needing that extra moment to take in the real kicker.
Chief did not act this desperately for just anyone. No matter his devotion to humanity's safety and his missions' success, he also knew how to compartmentalize. The last time he'd reacted in such a way...
That was when Cortana had been taken by the Gravemind.
Based on the connections Thel knew of, it wasn't the amount of time one spent with the Chief, but the quality of it that determined your standing with him. Blue Team had trained all their youth together, but the early forging of the bond had been strong. Cortana had been given to him within the last months of the Human-Covenant War, yet he fought through hell to save her multiple times and she had been obsessed with him in turn. Thel himself-
He already knew that part.
So the range of assumptions Thel was making was wide. He needed more data than Spartan-II body language and the few cracks in the militant voice - accidental clues, unnoticed - to narrow them down.
But he could accept the Chief's silent message of "Later." The details weren't truly important - not yet. For now, the story was clear and simple.
Chief was anxious. He was desperate. Longing. All of those tough emotions - tough for anyone, but especially a Spartan - needed to be resolved, however slowly and bit-by-bit it took.
And Thel would help with that, because that is what he is meant to do for John.
"I thought perhaps that I had misjudged you. That you would allow your cohort to die for... the greater good. I pity you that I was correct."
The hologram of Escharum, appearing in the observation room they entered within the House, paused as a fit of rasping took over.
"The House of Reckoning. Such an appropriate name. Many of your kind have entered this arena. None have left. Come. Look upon my work. Understand why we won."
As the hologram disappeared, Thel took in the simultaneous confirmation of his earlier suspicions alongside the new, additional information. Escharum was one of the brains of the Banished operation, smart enough to figure out the Master Chief in far less time than Thel had. Yet that brain was dying. Even if they didn't go over and shoot him, he would die.
No wonder Escharum felt driven to do what he did.
Thel had that thought only as a recognition of an enemy's thought process. In his actual opinion, what he would do and think in this situation? First of all, this situation wouldn't exist. Even when he was Supreme Commander 'Vadamee, this display of sadism and cruelty was too much. This arena dedicated to proving Banished strength against the soldiers they captured alive...
No, it didn't prove their strength. It proved their dependence on believing in it. In forcing everyone to continuously witness how they could tear out spines and crush skulls.
And for what? Strength for what?
Out of all the mercenaries, pirates, and warlords making up the Banished, Escharum and Atriox were the closest to earning Thel's respect. They proved successful rebellion against the Covenant was possible when Thel was still a loyal pawn. Despite what had happened to their homeworld, their resolve to continue to fight Cortana only grew in response. It was a bitter pill to swallow that these men were the ones that'd brought a fleet to Cortana's doorstep, while Thel was still stuck in fervorous council meetings with his peers about how surrender to Cortana - no matter how sweet the deal - was unacceptable.
But their need to slaughter innocent humans on that path to Cortana, to lay her crimes at their feet from fury still brewing, to disregard all that had been done to human territory and the rest of the galaxy during the Created's rise, to use the prizes stolen from Cortana to take their own turn at ravaging the galaxy...
Thel would kill them for it. He wouldn't feel a semblance of pity - not pity for them and not pity for the Jiralhanae to lose the few tactical brains they had. Because what was the point if this was all they wanted to achieve?
Truly, Chieftain Lydus was winning the contest of Thel's favorite Jiralhanae, even during the times that he barely heard news of the man. At least someone knew the benefits of rebuilding society outside of militant expansion. Knew the benefits of gathering resources and distributing it amongst the population - not because of who was worthy of it, but merely because they needed it. At least one Jiralhanae leader understood that continued existence in the galaxy would not be achieved without peaceful connection with one another.
Perhaps he let himself get a little tangled up in the Banished, something that Thel should be judging him for, but...
The elevator they boarded after clearing the first arena of Banished sprung to life. Thel gave only a glance towards the Chief. At the armor that no other human could wear - the knowledge he was taller than the tallest humans even without the armor. A mental map of all the scars on his body had burned into Thel's memory - the knowledge that those who put them there, before the Chief had ever set foot on a battlefield, would most likely die of old age in luxury.
He'd had to accept distasteful allies for the opportunity to keep the Swords of Sanghelios alive - at least long enough to see the day that they'd no longer be dependent on them. Thel hoped Lydus was operating under the same justification.
Momentarily, Thel caught a body movement from the Chief that he recognized. It usually meant he was talking to someone unseen. Someone on COMMs, or...
"Are we not alone?" Thel asked, before he could think through the wisdom of levying an accusation at a time like this. If the Chief truly was hiding something from him, then it must've been for good reason.
Unfortunately for him, Thel didn't like the disrespect of being kept in the dark. He should know that by now.
Chief looked back at him. "No. We have someone else on our side."
He knew not to waste Thel's time with further lies or snarky responses - knew right away what Thel wanted to know and gave it to him. That good sign eased Thel a bit, but he still couldn't help the prying.
"For how long? And when was I going to meet them?"
"Didn't know how to bring it up," Chief confessed. "Neither of us did. Since there wasn't a good opportunity, I made the call that we would wait until the mission was over."
So there was something to worry about this invisible "someone". This someone that made John act as if Cortana was back in his suit.
"Well, it has been brought up," Thel said. "I would prefer to not be left out in anything, so you can stop hiding. I promise to keep focus on the mission."
"If you say so." A voice eeriely similar to Cortana's, yet speaking with a different tone and cadence, had invaded his suit's systems to deliver the message. Thel's unhidden face changed little in expression - his silent message to John that he had already suspected such a thing and was not surprised. Few things would he think to hide from Thel: something related to Cortana the Tyrant that could be uncomfortable or an ONI directive that would make the relationship between them very awkward. If anything, Thel was actually more at ease with the former.
"She asked me why Escharum is doing all this," Chief continued. "Why he's telling us these things."
"And your take?" Because Thel already had his own.
"Death is changing him. It's making him look inward and forcing him to make a choice."
More charitable than Thel's gut opinion, but he could see the reason behind it and found it sound. "And what choice would that be?"
"The same I would do," John said, matter-of-fact. "He's choosing to fight."
"But not like this."
The response came out quick and defensive, no elaboration offered without signal that it was welcome. Chief's glance lingered for a bit, but no other words came out. Eventually, he looked ahead, as if sensing on cue that the elevators would open. But Thel had a feeling that wasn't why John had ended the conversation there.
For now, though, he would respect that it would have to be properly continued at a much later time, or else none of the arguments and retorts Thel had bubbling in the back of his throat would get through.
Do not identify with a man that is nothing like what you are projecting. His violence has nothing to do with yours. Your mistakes have nothing to do with Cortana's and his choices. Their ends do not have to be yours. You can be better than them and what you were molded into. You already are.
Another observation room and taunting Escharum hologram greeted them when they got off the elevator, followed shortly by another arena. Although Thel knew part of what Escharum hoped to achieve here - a glorious battle to the death with the Master Chief to end his saga - the rest eluded him. Surely he knew that all the waves of soldiers he sent would be slaughtered? Was his ego starting to go rancid as death decayed him? Had he decided that the Banished should die along with him, or did he truly believe the Banished would survive after all the sacrifices he fed the Chief? Because surely he wouldn't risk his legendary ending if he truly thought any of these foot soldiers stood a chance.
"You were never a match for Atriox. Deep down you still know that, don't you?"
Having grown accustomed to tuning out the War Chief's loudspeaker taunts during combat, Thel had almost missed that one. However, the mention of Atriox's name had stuck out too much - forced him to pay attention to what was said and reconstruct the bits preceding.
Once the final body fell, Thel wasted no time in turning his gaze towards the Chief. "What did he mean? Did you cross paths with Atriox before his demise?"
The Swords' arrival on the ring hadn't been too long ago, and there was only so much they could learn from enemy transmissions and dialogue in that amount of time. Thel couldn't believe it when he first heard reference of "Atriox's death". Upon reuniting with the Chief, however, he chalked it up to his hopes having won out.
But now Escharum was claiming Atriox was still the superior? That couldn't be right.
Yet the Chief said, "We fought on Infinity. He beat me. Bad. We can talk more later, but... Not now."
It was rare to hear of the Master Chief's failure. To hear it described as "bad" was even more haunting, and Thel inwardly chastised himself for the brief feeling of conflicted relief he'd never gotten the chance to meet this long-time rival properly.
No, more important was the way he’d said it. The Chief was usually disappointed whenever he admitted failure; deep down, his own ego and pride in himself was there, just like Thel and the Banished leadership. But that open admission of a bad beating wasn't what jumped out - it was the lack of said disappointment. Just continued hurry and desperation.
Past failures didn't matter in the face of a terrible present in the making. Failing to save that pilot might just break him.
What could have happened in a day to cause that? If the Chief had been around for the full half a year since the Infinity went missing, then it'd be more understandable. Yet he had said "the other day". He'd just met this pilot. Escharum had successfully identified this pilot as the perfect bait. Unless they had known each other prior to this battle and Chief hadn't gotten to that part of the story yet?
Unless this wasn't even about the pilot?
Again, Thel thought back to the rescue of Cortana from the Gravemind, but from another angle. He recalled news of the events on Requiem. He recalled what John had told him of what went down on Genesis. Despite everything, he had failed to save Cortana in the end, and look what had happened.
Failure wasn't just disappointing. It was downright traumatizing.
Thel knew that well.
A second elevator ride later and the duo arrived in a third observation room, where yet another Escharum hologram - Thel had lost count of this point - was waiting for them.
"You were there when we struck the Infinity. The first dreadnought came from the side. In the chaos that followed, you hardly had time to notice the other three bear down upon you. Do you know how long it took us to neutralize your greatest ship? Four minutes. In four minutes, the Infinity, mankind's finest achievement, became a memory."
The hologram dispersed in chuckles. Only a little bit of something new: the Infinity could be assumed lost at this point. But four minutes? Now was not the time for it, but later Thel would have to allow himself time to wrap his head around it. He'd personally seen the Infinity in action - it left an ugly scar on Vadam as it rendered a great sieging foe of Thel's nonexistent. And the Banished had beaten it with just as much ease.
The most frustrating part about the Banished's brutality and psychopathy was how successful they were at it. It didn't matter how wrong Thel thought their philosophy was if they might just win the philosophical war by virtue of dominating the literal.
One more arena greeted them, albeit with a far different design. Only a single structure made up the layout.
Even though the hologram had already spoken with them, Escharum couldn't help a bit more taunting as the duo approached this structure.
"The end approaches... But first... A last surprise."
Rest your voice, you old fool, Thel shouted in his head. Or at least get on with it.
Truly, all the showboating was proof enough that the old Jiralhanae was dying.
But perhaps he wasn't alone, as a grainy woman's voice sounded from inside the structure - "And can you say, 'I can't wait to see you again'?" - followed shortly by a child's "Hi!"
They both shared a glance with each other - the first time these strange tauntings had gotten to them, because just what in hells was this going to be about? - before entering the structure. Inside was an enclosed space, darkness broken up by the light from the entrance and scattered red lights within. Walls broke up the structure into a few loose rooms, decorated by sandbags, explosives, and gear.
On the ground, just feet ahead of them, was a small, glowing circle. The voices of mother and child were coming from it - those identities made clear as the Chief picked it up and their holographic image was revealed.
"I miss you."
"And 'I love you'?"
"I love you, Daddy."
Bouncing off the walls, talking over the recorded message, came a third voice, just as robotic yet sounding too real to be another loudspeaker.
"So sad..."
A Sangheili male. Thel clocked that right away, in spite of the distortion of the voice.
His hand went for the sword on his hip - the first time he felt the need to use it during this battle - as the voice started to move around the room.
"He's broken."
A barrel rolled nearby, validating Thel's instinct. The voice leapt to the other end of the room in the time it took them both to glance at the barrel.
"You'll break too."
Red slash marks burned into the ground, making Thel wish he had stuck to a gun just so he could reveal the invisible trickster sooner. Instead, the theatrics continued to play out as thuds sounded all around - somehow, the ceiling included.
"And soon... You'll meet your end."
Eventually, the Sangheili revealed himself across the room from them, and Thel had to pause at the well-directed reveal. Well, more so because of what had been revealed. The Banished Sangheili before them wore the usual black and red colors, and yet the mercenary didn't blend in with all the rest for Thel. The distinct shape of one arm stood out too much. And as the battle continued, Thel got even better looks at the adversary and had to accept an uncomfortable truth.
This blademaster was utilizing prosthetics. A prosthetic arm and mandibles by the looks of it, but the way he spoke suggested there was internal work as well. Just a decade ago, this kind of invasive medical work would have been unthinkable for a Sangheili to undergo. No matter how skilled this blademaster was, he would have been left for dead - would have killed himself to avoid the shame of being a swordsman without a sword arm.
Yet here he was, welcomed into the Banished fold and having risen in ranks enough to get a special feature in Escharum's war with the Master Chief - Escharum said as much over the loudspeaker, saying he chose the blademaster. Thel was aware, from years of intel on the Banished, that Atriox cared first and foremost in acquiring and making use of resources - individuals included. He knew the value of investment. And prosthetics on a talented, accomplished blademaster was a very good investment.
That was exactly the message Thel wished would get through to his Sangheili peers. Even amongst his Swords of Sanghelios, some still faltered in walking the path of progress and found too much comfort in sticking to outdated traditions. As much as it pained him to sometimes hold back, the alliance would not work without compromise, and so he didn't push as much when it came to these ideals. He settled with establishing medical tents where he could and hoping the results would speak for themselves - that eventually, the detractors would come around, or else would slowly be forced to accept it as everyone else made the changes for them.
The shining example of what Sangheili medical practice could be was attached to an unhinged killer. Atriox had beaten him. Escharum had, too, by proving that Sangheili and Jiralhanae could overcome their bloody feud. Somehow, the Banished were proving more progressive.
Except for the one place where it mattered most to Thel. They had abandoned every tradition except the tradition of war. That's where the bitterness truly settled at the back of Thel's throat: that what he envisioned could benefit the Sangheili and improve their lives was instead being propped up to help their potential destroyers.
And a little bit, the irony of it all.
Extra fervor snuck into Thel's sword swings as all that ran through his mind. The blademaster, shockingly, did not answer in kind. At least... He didn't seem to care as much for Thel's presence as he did the Master Chief's. Whether it was because this trap was first and foremost designed for the Chief, that the blademaster wanted to ensure the glory of killing him before setting aside time for the Arbiter, or something personal that Thel didn't know, the blademaster would do his best to avoid damage from Thel and sneak away to harass the Chief. Never did he outright target Thel - only answer blows when Thel chased after him.
Unfortunately for him, a two-on-one with warriors that had survived the worst of the Flood together was not in his favor. Although, Thel suspected the blademaster was already aware this duel was going to be different than envisioned, as his body disappeared the moment it fell to the ground. Their combined efforts had dismantled the armor's energy shields and brought damage to him, that much Thel was sure of, but the disappearance was too quick. Even before a sweep of the landing zone revealed nothing inhabiting the space, Thel had a feeling the blademaster had made a tactical retreat under the pretenses of death. It was what a man who rebuilt his own body just to experience more battle would do.
Thel said as much once he made a show of sweeping his leg around the area. "It is a trick. The blademaster still breathes - somewhere."
The Chief gave a glance around and paused - as if the blademaster would make one more attempt at striking at him - before replying, "If it becomes a problem later, we'll worry then. But for right now, we have to keep moving. We've been stalled long enough."
"I agree." All this ceremony and showboating was in service to Escharum alone; and the longer it went on, the more the pilot suffered, if he hadn't already died by now. Because why wouldn't Escharum assume that, at this point, the Master Chief would come to him regardless of if this was a mission of rescue or revenge? Why keep tortured bait alive longer than necessary? Why show mercy now, when he had never in all his life?
The holographic message of mother and child, while disturbing and off-putting, had stumped Thel in its execution. Why that message in particular? Who were those two - to the Chief or to the Banished? Why not continue with broadcasts of the pilot's suffering? But something the blademaster said helped bring it all together, once Thel had a moment where he wasn't fighting for his life: that was part of the pilot's suffering. He was continuing the thread of taunting the Chief through the pilot by revealing the family the pilot had - revealing a keepsake stolen off his person.
And then Escharum set up one last hologram to taunt them as they left the blademaster's structure. "Whatever the outcome, know this: the Banished control this Ring. We came for war. A thousand legions occupy this world. The Auditorium will give up its secrets. Your interference is just..." He coughed. "An irritation. Fleeting."
Disgusting. Absolutely depraved.
And yet, they were simultaneously the minds that saw some of Thel's goals realized before he had, and somehow for motivations running completely counter to Thel's own.
Gods. He wanted to see the galaxy get better, to realize the potential he saw in its peoples, and yet some days he really hated it. He would not let that rage lead to destruction like Atriox and Escharum had, but neither could he ignore its presence.
So for today, he would live like a Spartan would: focus on the mission. Save the pilot. Stop the Banished's plans. Everything else could wait.
Thel had to admit the comfort in such a way of thinking. No wonder John might never kill the habit.
During the next elevator ride, Thel regarded that very Spartan, knowing that little could be read yet going through the effort anyway. He slowly deciphered how to read the body language of a Spartan-II - what was normal for them and what was abnormal, what these signs could mean in any given context - with even more determination than learning how to speak English with his own mandibles. If Thel had logically deduced the true meaning of the holographic mother and child, the Chief definitely had. It was possible that he himself could've seen the pilot holding the keepsake before; humans liked to view these kinds of mementos one last time before they thought they would perish, and this battle against the Banished for the ring would surely make any pilot fear their own demise. The Master Chief should have been a shield against such anxiety, but over the years his reputation had preceded him - his presence was a herald that something eventfully fateful was about to occur, and such things were usually not so calm and easy.
Within the elevator, Thel hadn't noticed anything that he hadn't prior. Either the message had gone over his head, or it simply didn't mean much when his mood was already at its peak.
John didn't break easily. Whatever broke someone else, only fueled him. The blademaster had failed in his mission the moment he set out on it - exactly what that trained, built-up Spartan stoicism was meant to do.
If there were to be a breaking, at the very least, it would not be for the Banished's eyes.
"I'm getting a read on Echo-216," that Cortana-like voice announced to them both. "He's right above us."
Before they even left the elevator, they could see across the room a human man hooked up to a torture device; it jogged memories to a similar device within the Covenant, utilized by the Prophet of Exquisite Devotion.
"There he is! We need to get him out of that thing."
Thel gave only momentary thought to her statement - mainly taking note of the emotional strain in her voice and the conclusion he definitely had nothing to fear regarding her status as a Cortana clone - and risked running with his eyes on the Chief. There was a tension across his body in the stationary moment between the elevator stopping and the men leaping into action. He deduced a while ago that this situation was getting to the Chief deeper than the usual misfortunes and tragedies of war, but every passing moment just made him more certain.
If he had known at the time about Spartan Griffin, he would've made the connection then and there. There were layers upon layers to this stressful climax that Escharum was playing with.
"Escharum clearly wants his battle with you," Thel said. They were within feet of reaching the pilot. "He will be like that earlier blademaster - focused entirely on you, not caring for my presence. So I suggest we give him what he desires."
"While you free him," the Chief finished, just as they finished their run. Without missing a beat, his hand found a podium next to the device, allowing the AI to connect to the machine.
"Precise-"
"Chief...!" the pilot - Echo-216 - interrupted, forcing his words between painful grunts and breaths. He had little time left. "You shouldn't... have come for me. I'm-"
The machine surged, forcing the pilot to scream.
"Micro gravity wells are putting enormous stress on his body," the AI explained.
Then, bouncing off the walls, came Escharum's voice. Unlike previous times, there was not the slight effect of a speaker. He was here in person, somewhere.
"I told you I would not kill him."
Thel tightened the grip on his sword hilt, in the event it was needed.
"Leave me. Run!" the pilot urged.
Foolish. Both of them. The Master Chief has already been set on his path. Only death can stop it now.
And Spartans never die.
"We'll get you out of there," the Chief assured.
"No... you will try," Escharum continued. Thel looked around, trying to gauge the direction it was coming from, but the Banished warlord was making good use of the acoustics in the room.
"Chief? He's here," came the AI, proving just how young and naive she was. Even Escharum clocked how useless of a warning it was in the next moment.
"He knows I'm here. This was never a trap. It is a test of mettle. Our battle ends here."
And just to prove that point, the Spartan looked back at both Thel and the AI. "Get him out of there."
"On it."
"It shall be done."
With his task in mind, Thel was prepared to lose all attention on Escharum, although he did register a thump as Escharum landed from high above (ah, clever, that's where he was) as well as some classic battle roars in between his incessant yapping.
"I am vaguely familiar with these devices," Thel said to the AI. "The Banished got the idea from the Covenant, but it is possible they have made their own modifications."
"Right! Let me just check..." A moment passed as she inspected something. "You're right. There's something in the coding. It's connected to relay devices around this room, and those are connected to... Oh no."
"What is it?"
"This isn't good. They're connected to Escharum's shields. That means any damage inflicted on him will be transferred to Echo-216."
Gods, have they not had enough of this? Escharum has finally lured his "legendary foe". What is the point of adding this to the fight?
"Destroying those relays will destroy that connection?" Thel asked.
"Exactly. I'll warn Chief right now-"
"I have a better idea. Do you have the means to leave this device without the Chief?"
"Uh, yeah, through some network connections, but why-"
The AI started to question him, but Thel had already ignited his blade. The Swords' arrival and insertion into the battle had been unexpected on Escharum's part - proven just by how little attention they spared the Arbiter so far - so perhaps he also hadn't accounted for someone with an energy sword to be on the Chief's side. Or just knowledge of how these machines powered themselves.
If the torture devices were like the Prophet of Exquisite Devotion's, then they would be powered by energy transmutation cubes or a similar conduit nearby. The Prophet of Exquisite Devotion had a whole room - the chamber of Gravitational Refinement - that required a separate, smaller room to house power. But a smaller device should have a smaller power source.
After some inspection of the area, Thel found what he was looking for and plunged his blade into it. Before any further moment could pass, he lurched back towards Echo-216, who had suddenly been released from his restraints and fell forward to the ground. However, keeping the human from getting banged up wasn't the reason for Thel's rush - it was the explosion he thought might come afterward.
"Ah, what did you do-?!" the AI exclaimed, disappearing a moment after. There was little time for Thel to worry if she had escaped in time, or at all - he just had to hope she was as clever as her predecessor.
"The Weapon-!" Echo-216 coughed, and at first Thel was concerned he had overlooked something. But as the pilot continued to squirm in Thel's arms, reaching out towards the destroyed torture device, something clicked.
"She will be fine," Thel assured, his grip tightening on the weaker human. "You will be, too, but only if we leave here immediately."
"Who are...?" His body started to go limp from a combination of sapped strength and futility realized.
Hauling the human over his shoulder, he answered, "A friend. Friend of a friend, I should say."
"His...? The Chief...!"
"He will be fine. I suspect Escharum is already aware his own time has come. Now stop struggling and let me help you."
As Thel said that, his eyes had been glancing around the room for a path. Bullets were flying from the Chief while Escharum jumped around with his cannon. The only exit was the elevator they came from, but that meant navigating the messy battlefield.
No other choice. Thel let Echo-216 slip back down a little, semi-cradling the human between his torso and arms, and tensed his body around him in a fleshy shield. Then Thel dashed, twisting his body so that only his own body was ever facing danger. He slipped behind the Chief in his run to the elevator.
"You will kill him," he said as he walked past, and he almost didn't notice the stern nod the Chief shot back.
Once at the elevator, and only when it was moving downwards, Thel relaxed his body around the pilot, although elected to not yet move him back to over-the-shoulder. Even though they had cleared maybe the entire building of combatants, that didn't mean new blood hadn't entered behind them.
"This is so weird..." he heard Echo-216 mumble. Before Thel could apologize and insist on the safety measures, the man continued, "I came in dragged by the neck by an alien, now I'm coming out cradled by one..."
"Hm. Yes, you must have had quite the day."
Thel felt, just barely through his armor, the shift as the pilot readjusted his position and let his face be exposed. "Who are you? You're not with the Banished? Why... are you helping me?"
"As I said, I am-"
"A friend of a friend," he interrupted. "I know you said that, but... Really? With the Master Chief?"
If he knew the entirety of who I am, he would show even further doubt. "I am Arbiter Thel 'Vadam. We ended the Covenant and the Flood back on the Ark together. It felt only right to bring my Swords of Sanghelios to back-up the UNSC here. Although the Banished is made up of many Sangheili... We are enemies. They have chosen wanton bloodshed over a better future."
"Right. That makes sense."
Briefly, Thel wondered about that. If Echo-216 was with the UNSC, then surely he should have at least a little knowledge of the Swords of Sanghelios? Of the Arbiter? What did it imply that he seemed not to? That pilots were considered lower soldiers, not worthy of full educational training? That this one did not pay attention in his classes?
Surely not that the UNSC cared little about informing their forces about allied aliens.
No, such a lax policy could not be possible with the Infinity. Besides the trust he had in its prominent crew members, it was almost impossible. Thel had stationed some of his warriors on the ship, to aid the UNSC and foster their alliance. Even if the ship was massive enough that the pilot never laid eyes on them, he must've at least heard of their presence.
Unless... there was something about the pilot himself...?
"But you introduced yourself as a friend first," the man continued, apparently still unsatisfied. "What was that about?"
Instead of answering right off the bat, Thel focused on the elevator's stoppage, bringing them out into the wider room. He walked them over to a corner and placed the pilot down. Wary of the surviving blademaster, Thel didn't immediately bend down to check over the man, first scanning across the room for any noticeable sign of company. He really should've brought the pilot all the way outside and met up with friendly forces, but with how badly the pilot had been tortured, Thel first wanted to be assured of how long he could last. Plus, it'd be better to defend him camped in one spot rather than potentially running into an ambush.
Those were the main reasons he chose, but... He had to admit that, just a little bit, he didn't want to stray too far from the Chief's battle. He was so certain it'd be victorious, but neither did he want to be left in anticipation for too long.
John had already kept him waiting for so many years.
Just to be safe, Thel kept his body blocking the pilot's, so that anyone sneaking up on them would have to get through him first. He kept that defensive position even as he bent down to finally inspect the pilot's physical condition.
"It is... more complicated than that," Thel finally answered. He might as well, to make the human more at ease with the physical inspection.
"So you're not?" he asked.
"We are and have been a lot of things." His fingers pressed on all the points he knew humans were most delicate at, checking for signs of internal wounds or serious external injury. For the human's sake, he forgoed anything that required looking under clothes. "'Friend' is not the best word in either of our languages. But I figured it would be the easiest to get across my point that I am here to help you, because he wanted to help you."
"Why...? I'm just a pilot. He would've always gone after Escharum eventually, but... Why only after I was taken? Why have you help me and not have his back?"
I suppose he cannot provide me any answers on that front. "I do have his back. This was important to him. I believe you are undervaluing yourself - though I know little of what has occurred, I know him enough to know that it was enough."
"What are you talking about...?"
But Thel 'Vadam does not kiss and tell, nor spill secrets not his own. To cut off that line of questioning, he switched into a stern tone as he insisted on completing the examination, even though he had largely come to his conclusion there: he wasn't just busted up and bruised on the outside, but something inside had been damaged. A proper medical professional would have to pinpoint exactly what.
Several minutes passed, but some hope came when the elevator was suddenly summoned upwards. The battle was over. In just a bit longer, the victor would reveal himself, and the two would have to go from there.
"Do you think...?" Echo-216 started to ask, but Thel hushed him.
"Were it so easy."
Despite that mantra, Thel felt an immense relief the moment he spotted green. The Master Chief stepped off the elevator platform, and the difference in body language was subtle to anyone but Thel. Tired. Thel could come up with several different words, but they all linked back to that same root. After running on maximum power and stress for so long, the end was drawing near. Many Banished remained on the Ring, but the death of War Chieftain Escharum would bring enough chaos to lessen their threat. Buy time for rest. Allow the power output to be drawn back a little.
Then he spoke, and Thel realized he had missed another layer: somberness.
"He's dead. It's over. For now, at least."
"Yes, the Banished will come back at us with vengeful fervor, but for now their chain of command will suffer," Thel said.
"Yeah."
Thel considered questioning his tone; why did it sound like the Chief was giving this foe more respect than he deserved? Spartans of his generation were too professional to celebrate - especially when the war was not yet fully won - but they never sounded so... defeated, when victorious.
Momentarily, he wondered if he miscalculated the AI's ability to escape the explosion, because that was the only other explanation he could think of for his behavior. Had he unintentionally killed the reborn Cortana? Had something else? But then, the Chief would’ve mentioned that, since Echo-216 seemed to know and care for her.
"There's still the Harbinger," Chief continued. "Escharum's death won't stall her."
"Harbinger?" Thel questioned. At the same time, he decided to table his curiosity. Now was clearly not the time.
The Weapon was the one to chime in, confirming to Thel her survival. "An alien of a previously undiscovered species that was imprisoned here by the Forerunners. The Banished freed her and apparently are helping with whatever plan she has. Escharum claimed they had the same goal."
"Then I agree: that should be our next move." He looked over at the pilot, still sitting in the corner. "However... He will need healing. I am not trained, but even I can tell his injuries are severe."
"I feel fine," Echo-216 insisted. He pressed his hands to the wall behind him and slowly, with a grunt, lifted himself back up to his feet. "Fine enough to fly. I'm taking the Chief wherever he needs to go."
That last statement was spoken with as much sternness as his condition would allow him to muster; if Thel wasn't fully aware of how human adrenaline worked, he would've thought the man was making a miraculous recovery.
"You feel fine now, but your body is heavily damaged," Thel said. "If you continue like this, your injuries will worsen. You could die."
"The only reason I haven't is because of him. I'm not tapping out to safety at the final stretch." Echo-216's gaze went to Chief. "Let me do this. Flying won't require my whole body, I'll be sitting the whole time."
The Chief took a moment to deliberate. "We don't have a lot of time to waste. Unless there's another pilot right outside, we still need him. But only for this last mission."
With that, Thel had no further argument. "I concede, then. Where is this Harbinger?"
"A place called the Silent Auditorium," the Weapon explained. Escharum mentioned a place of a similar name and secrets there, so that made sense. It was possible this entire show was not just for Escharum's benefit, but to buy the Harbinger time to complete whatever goal they had there.
"Hold on," Chief cut in, facing Thel. "I need you to stay with him. You're right that his condition could suddenly go sideways, and that blademaster's snatched him from the Pelican before."
"But that would mean facing this Harbinger alone," Thel said.
"Not alone," the Chief insisted, referring to the Weapon. "I can beat her. And if I can't, and you notice something is happening... We treat it like the other life the Forerunners tried to contain. You use your ships to bombard the Auditorium."
And kill him, if the Harbinger hadn't already. "I still think the battle would be more certain if I was with you."
"Maybe. But that means keeping you away from leading the charge against the rest of the Banished more than we already have. Now's the time to start striking at them."
Which is the same logic he will use if I suggest having some of my men accompany him... Really, Thel had accepted this argument's defeat a few sentences ago, he just wanted to give it one more try. For whatever reason, the Chief felt it was vital he confront this threat on his own, with only the support of the Weapon. He didn't usually act this way regarding targets - no reason to jeopardize the mission for his own ego. That was why Thel's mind was going to the alternative: something emotional. But was that something regarding the Harbinger, or something else he knew would be on the way?
In retrospect, he hadn't gotten confirmation of the fate of Cortana. The state of the Created and their Guardians around the galaxy leaned towards the possibility of her death - as well as the fact that over the course of their time here, she had not made an appearance nor was the subject of much conversation. And while the Banished were not the type to join forces against a common foe with those they deemed prey, Thel was certain the ongoing UNSC-Banished war was sign enough that Cortana was not presently a threat on the Ring.
The Infinity had come here to disable Cortana's threat. How exactly and whether it would be full destruction or mere imprisonment, that hadn’t been shared with him. Thel's first assumption regarding the Banished's presence was that they had a similar goal, but with the news they were working with the Harbinger that they freed, now he wasn't entirely certain what they were here for. Somehow the Weapon had to factor into this, given both her resemblance to Cortana and her name.
He had no evidence for it, but it was what felt right: Chief expected something Cortana-related at the Silent Auditorium and he wanted privacy.
Reluctantly, even if his read was wrong, he had to at least respect that unspoken wish for privacy.
"You referred to this as 'this last mission'," Thel finally said. "Although I believe the Banished would disagree with that phrasing, I insist you take a break once the Harbinger is defeated. You and the UNSC have held out well against the Banished. But now the Swords of Sanghelios are here. You can afford some rest while we take advantage of the opportunities you created."
While the Chief regarded him, Thel added, "I especially insist you take that time to come back to my ship, so we can discuss matters."
The era of bottling feelings up and hoping to just get through them was over. Thel was not in this relationship to stay stuck on the side lines. That wasn't how this worked.
After being granted a bit more time to think, John ultimately nodded his head and answered simply, "Deal," before beginning the march back to the outside world. Thel watched his back for a few beats, only to be interrupted by the pilot coming up next to him.
"I thought only the UNSC had that kind of power over him," Echo-216 remarked, still recovering from some apparent shock.
"He has never listened to a UNSC order to rest in his entire life," Thel snorted. Then he let the pilot's words sink in a bit more and added, "Power over him... I would not say I feel such a thing from my perspective, but I suppose I can understand how it looks from an outside one."
I have had much work to do, Thel continued, keeping the rest of his musing private. And if I did not initiate that work, I doubt he ever would feel motivated to do so on his own terms.
But I suppose that was half the reason I propositioned him in the first place.
So deep was he in his musing that Thel almost missed one final murmur from Echo-216: "...What's that supposed to mean?"
Devoid of the light mirth from his previous comment, genuine and serious confusion finally settling in, but still voicing it soft enough to not bring it to attention. Because even he must know, deep down, that now was not the time.
Pretending he didn't hear in the first place, Thel started a slow walk to follow the Chief. He continued that pace even after he heard footsteps from behind, as he had made a deal to watch over this man and ensure no further harm came upon him. Still, he would give Echo-216 enough distance to not make it so obvious that he was being babysat.
Not like Thel understood what was so bad about being in the care of an Arbiter and Kaidon, that human men kept shying away into the arms of further strife, but he wasn't going to risk Echo-216 becoming as difficult as a certain other in that department.