...so...yes. major major silence. Life has been very very busy, and I have dealt with a major writer's block in pushing through the "slow exposition" parts of the story. Finally pushed through...apologies all who were keen on this one. 😅 its not dead.
The unusual quartet walked down the long hall leading to Kea'ton's offices within the Assembly Hall. Flanked by a set of armed and readied escorts on each side, the assemblage of General Rodham Morris, Castor Dane, Adam Malkovich, and Samus Aran arrived at their destination and were greeted by the translucent projection of Kea'ton's virtual intelligence assistant.
"Greetings, General Morris. The Chairman is already in talks with Arbiter Sal 'Narai at this time, but I have been instructed to direct you and your companions in upon your arrival."
"The sooner, the better, Sel'ta."
The quartet and their escorts were guided into the outer chamber of Kea'ton's offices, leaving them with a few minutes to settle while the holographic VI vanished to inform the Chairman of their arrival. It did not, surprisingly, take long for the inner office doors to slide open and greet the humans to the sight of several towering Sangheili standing around the desk of a diminutive, yet very resolute, Mantu seated behind the large encompassing desk.
"I hope that we're not interrupting, Chairman." The weathered eyes looked a moment to Morris' own counterpart within the Sangheili, followed by a nod of acknowledgment and respect for the Arbiter. "A pleasure to see you again as well, Arbiter. Though I wish the circumstances were less problematic."
A snort would escape Sal 'Narai's four jaws, but a nod was given all the same. "Likewise, General. We were speaking of the Federation's possible need for Sangheili assistance in this 'renewed' conflict with the Kromus. Your timing could not have been more appropriate."
It was Dane who raised his brow at those words. In his experience, they were not often a sign of good fortunes. "I hope negotiations have been going well so far. I'm not sure that we can manage this rather devolving situation as it is."
This time Sal's response would be a sound somewhere halfway between a held in snort and grunt, a sound of barely contained derision. Enough to warn Dane of his fears. "Sangheilios cannot afford to spare what fleets we have to defend the Federation when we have our own territories to protect and warden. Many of them your own client systems that have either lacked the means of raising their own defenses or have been actively discouraged from doing so." The Arbiter sighed and gestured for his entourage to follow him before moving himself to leave. "I would hope you understand, General. You are, after all, aware of what we protect...and the consequences of not doing so." He strode toward the outer office chambers, his escorts following and ignoring the shocked expressions on the faces of the humans.
"That's it?!"
"Samus, no!"
A heavy thump resonated in the Chairman's chambers as Sal 'Narai came to a halt and signaled for his retinue to do the same. The voice had been...higher in pitch than he'd expected. Young, indignant...not expected in such a place as this. "Admiral, is there an issue with my decision among your staff?" The saurian turned his head, gazing over the humans and catching sight of the very young female with blonde hair, green eyes, and scars running down the left side of her face. Her attire was a contrast to the marine escorts that stood with Morris and his entourage; plates of blue-silver armor, half sleeves, and dimly glowing emblems on the chest and shoulder plates that took him a moment to recognize.
Chozo.
"Arbiter, apologies. Miss Aran is not familiar with-"
His hand snapped up to silence the admiral before he could further speak. That name, combined with the features he was looking at, struck a memory from nearly decades before. The sieges into Kromus heart systems, humans alongside Sangheili in the raging series of battles to end the Kromus invasions.
A man and a woman who both carried tokens of Chozo favor, he with green eyes touched with blue, her with blonde hair toned with bits of red. Both were ÆSIR super soldiers. Both had proven strong and admirable.
Both, he knew, were dead.
"Aran?" the hinged jaws mutters as Sal 'Narai turned his course and stepped over to examine the young woman. "Not Captain Aran or his bonded partner, you're too young. But I see them in your face...his same eyes."
Samus held her breath. She had never actually seen a Sangheili in person before, and no holographic data image could have prepared her for just the sheer presence that Sal 'Narai gave off. For all her own strength, multiple levels of any human her own size and mass, just seeing the Arbiter in person told her that he could snap her in half with his bare hands.
Yet he was studying her, eyes draw to the Chozo sigils on her armor plates. "Curious, you wear the same marks I saw over two decacycles ago..." and his gaze turned for a moment to Dane and Morris. "On a planet that we agreed not to speak about."
That, Dane knew, was his chance. "Arbiter, that is the very issue Miss Aran has brought to us." A glance at Kea'ton, more that aware that the chairman was in the dark, but it was a secret that could not stand any more if they were to prevent disaster. "The Pirates have Zebes."
Within that instant the atmosphere in the room shifted. The Arbiter's outward attitude of feigned interest and thin veneer of politeness would vanish, his attention suddenly focused to a fine, razor sharp point. Displeasure was evident, but tempered by immediate understanding of both the implications and need to act. "They bypassed both the early warning systems we left in place and your own intelligence agencies. How? And what of both our ships left to act as wardens of the planet?"
"Sal," and as Morris spoke, it was with a tone of familiars, to address whom the general considered a friend. "That is why Miss Aran is here. The defense grids were never tripped, the picket ships are gone. Zebes had no warning at all."
And yet, Sal 'Narai held up his left hand, palm spread in the gesture that he knew Morris would be familiar with to be silent. The Arbiter's eyes were not on his human counterpart as a military overleader, but on the young woman who had challenged him to begin with. "You were on Zebes, human?" When she nodded, the Sangheili growled under his breath before signaling for his own escorts, as well as Morris', to wait outside the Chairman's offices. "We need all to have words, General, and I want every bit of information this child has."
The dark skinned brow creased, but Morris responded with a nod and a glance to the awaiting marines to do as Sal 'Narai had indicated. Once it once just the six of them, Morris would take a deep breath and indicated for Samus to speak. "The floor is yours, Miss Aran."
She never liked being in the spotlight, but considering the circumstances they were facing, Samus had little other choice but to push through. "Truthfully, I still don't know how they circumvented the system defense network and shut off any of the early warning grids. But they came in the middle of the night cycles in Crateria and just...decimated the Nest." Her eyes did not miss the expression of confusion at what she was talking about on Kea'ton's face, and it took her a moment to remember that the Sangheili and the Confederation had agreed not to tell Vog'l's administration, and summarily Kea'ton's by succession, about Zebes and why it was so important.
"Nest?" The expected questions already were beginning as Kea'ton narrowed his eyes at Samus. "Crateria? What is this place you call Zebes, General? And why-"
"It's the Chozo, Chairman."
The solid pools that were Kea'ton's eyes went wide. The understanding came almost immediately as to what the humans and Sangheili were admitting to having kept hidden from the Federation. "Are you all telling me that the Confederation and Urs have known the location of a living Chozo territory world since over two standard decacycles ago-"
"-and your predecessor was both incompetent and corrupt, with more concern with the agendas of his faction and his own power than the well being of those he spoke for," 'Narai interrupted, eyes still locked on the smallest human before him even as he tilted his head, even so slightly, toward the diminutive Mantu. "A political faction that still holds considerable sway within your government's decision making body." Although the words were little more than a blunt and honest statement of fact, it would've been difficult to miss the derision placed upon the emphasized words. Vog'l had been a corrupt fool, and while he might have been forced to relinquish the seat of power, those who thought like him whom were still within the Federation's congress merited a degree of concern...all the more so with the Confederation's hands tied by those very politics until so recently, Kromus activity on the rise and his own people spread thin hunting them down.
Dane raised his hand, noticing that even Adam was staring in shock at the level of a cover up had been accomplished for as long as it had been maintained. "It's beyond a simple nest colony, sir." The admiral braced himself as he drew in a breath and nodded to Samus. "Chairman, we apologize the necessity for withholding this information to such a degree, but as the Arbiter pointed out...considering the actions of Chairman Vog'l in his term, and the requests of the Chozo to maintain secrecy over what was in the SS176 system, we had to make sure this information did not fall into the wrong hands."
"Despite your own noble character," came as the Arbiter would adjust his stance in addressing the Mantu chairman, "there are those even in your administration that have proven to not share your ideals and considerations."
A sad, but all to true, concession that Kea'ton reluctantly gave a nod of his head to. "What then is the importance of this planet Zebes?"
It took less than a second for Samus to answer, even as Morris and Dane were visibly hesitant. "Chairman, it's the center of our civilization in this galaxy." All eyes, again, were on her, something that the blonde girl was becoming uncomfortably aware of. Her own fault, however, for speaking up and answering as she had done. "I was...raised by one of the Chozo since they found me in the ruins of K-2L. I'm as much one of the Cho'za tribe as I am a Terran. The planet is my home, and there are secrets buried beneath the ancient capitol city that could burn the galaxy to dust if the wrong people get to them."
The Chairman sat, clearly overwhelmed by the information brought to light. He began to rub his temples with the ball tips of his fingers as his mind silently processed everything revealed. It was not often Kea'ton found himself completely at a loss for words, but it was not often that such terrifying revelations were presented to him.
"General, you accept what this child claims without doubt?"
"She's the daughter of John and Virgina Aran, Sal." Again, Morris spoke with a tone reserved for familiar and old friends, but there was a touch of authority underlying his words. "Considering she has Admiral Dane's confidence, I trust her without hesitation."
There was a rumble in Sal 'Narai's chest as he looked toward the human girl to examine her. He had noted how familiar she looked, even having the same eyes as her aforementioned father. But one did not deserve claim to such respect as her parents had earned without having proven themselves worthy of it on their own. If her tale was true, she had indeed endured much. But he, like his people, was of the warrior's spirit. And a proven warrior was what he respected.
It was then that Kea'ton raised his gaze to meet those gathered in his offices. "If the Kromus have access to this cache of ancient Chozo secrets as you claim, Miss Aran, I'm not sure what options we have. This renewed war is already taking tolls on the outer systems and into the neck of the Spur."
"They don't have access to the Chozo's ancient fleets yet, Chairman," Morris was quick to interject as correction. "We made an attempt to breech already, but we had not received vital information until it was too late due to the inactions of the prison facility staff on Calliope IX." With a sigh, the general would begin to pace the office. "As of last contact with troops on the ground, there are Chozo survivors, and the Kromus have yet to claim the ancient city where this cache of ships and technologies are buried."
"And your people did not think to inform us of this before this first attempt?" The silver clad Sangheili's attention had finally shifted from Aran to another individual in the room, albeit now with a far worse disposition and the single sentence laced with venom and accusation as 'Narai's gaze was now fixed on Morris. The Kromus had long ceased to be the Federation's problem, and the fact that the Confederation had not only thought to inform them of the breach before their supposed allies did much to shift the Arbiter's ire. Moreover that they had attempted to solve the problem themselves in such a rash manner. Time had indeed been a factor, but to react with such haste rather than in a measured and deliberate manner had only allowed more time for the situation to deteriorate when a united front could have likely ended the assault days ago.
Instead they were now disorganized and weakened, needing time to regroup and removing their forces from the equation. The Federation lacked a military of its own, and any ships that 'Narai could spare would need days to recall and reorganize into a fleet - a fleet that could have been ready now had they only been informed when this had first happened.
"Arbiter, if you want to blame anyone for that, then blame me."
The snarl echoed again, but it was on Dane that Sal 'Narai leveled his gaze now. His eyes demanded answers, as the actions that the human assumed responsibility for had been those he would not have expected for one of Dane's position.
"When I finally received word that Samus was on Calliope IX, the message had taken over a month to reach me due to the military prison's commanding officer not considering her warning a priority. I sent part of my fleet to secure and prepare defenses, as I had assumed we were receiving early warning as we had twenty five years ago." The look of shame in the admiral's weary eyes was all too visible, his head lowering to break his eyeliner with the towering Sangheili. "I went to Calliope to recover Miss Aran while a dozen ships went into what we wouldn't learn until later had been a trap, Arbiter. Thousands of lives lost, and hundreds now trapped or dead on the surface. All because I had panicked over that girl being in danger."
"Technically, it was Captain Harper's fault for not listening to a word I said."
With a resigned sigh, Dane would shake his head. He appreciated her attempts to absolve him, but the admiral had already accepted things as his responsibility. "Samus, I'd rather not get into an argument over who is more responsible for the mess we're in."
"Then we should stop complaining about where we are, and figure out what we're going to do about it!"
"You tolerate much from one so unproven." Sal 'Narai would snort as the three uniformed men turned to stare in surprise at the Sangheili Arbiter. "Deeds of her forebears aside, I can't imagine she has earned such distinctions of her own as of yet." A thud resonated with each step that the Arbiter moved toward the young woman, his slitted reptilian eyes locking gaze with her own wide blue-touched green. For several long seconds, they merely looked at each other, his eyes studying hers, looking the human girl over carefully. She had, to his observation, a peculiar scent. Difficult to place, but oddly familiar. Not, however, human, but rather somewhere between it and something...else. Pieces began, in his mind, falling into place as he recalled her statement that she had been raised on Zebes since the death of her parents. "You've been keeping secrets." 'Narai spoke after a long moment had passed, eyes shifting toward the human men before then toward Kea'ton. Sal 'Narai knew that scent, despite nearly a quarter of a century since he had been in the owner's presence. "There was a young one, I remember. Fighting at the side of the humans who had aided the defense of the planet during the war." The Arbiter's head swung back towards the far smaller blond, eyes again passing over her in renewed appraisal. Dane had tensed up, but Samus didn't flinch. Not until she felt his breath pushed on her, and even then, the girl told her ground as best she could. "He fought in the battle, unlike his elders. Wielded an ancient weapon...a blade not unlike those held by our own distinguished warriors and nobility."
"Apolý'tashe." A slight waver could be heard in her voice. Even Samus could bee seen to shifting slightly to avoid showing her discomfort. "A catalyst blade."
The Arbiter nodded. "You smell like him." As he paused, his head tilted slightly even though his eyes stayed on the human girl in front of him. "Something that should not be if her parents are whom you claim." 'Narai continued, his words meant for Dane even as his eyes narrowed, adjusting his overall posture to better face with the blonde young woman. "If I'm to assume I was not lied to...the Chozo are known for their prowess for shaping the living. But why? And under whose authority was it done? The young one, or his elders?"
Dane looked nervously over to Malkovich even as Morris and Kea'ton were staring with surprise and shock. It was even more shocking when Samus nodded in confirmation to Sal 'Narai's inquiry.
"Maru fought alongside the human ÆSIRs at the battle of Ili Zebes Nalíma." Her confirmation brought a nod from the Arbiter. "He was the Chozo who found and rescued me after the massacre on K-2L when I was three years old. Gave me prolonged infusions of his own genetic material so that my body could better adapt to Zebes, and to allow me blood right to being a member of the Cho'za tribe."
A moment of silence as Sal 'Narai examined her again. She greatly resembled her biological human parents, but he could see that named Chozo in her bearing, her rigid posture and bearing. Potential - but as of now that's all it was, and all that 'Narai saw. There was possibility that it might grow into something more with time, that they saw the same and she was more than a mere ward taken by the Bird Tribe. But they weren't there yet.
"He made you his daughter," came the conclusion as the Arbiter stepped back, an eye turning to Dane to gauge the full blooded human's reaction. "Your parents and caretaker were admirable warriors, young one. Given time, perhaps you will earn those distinctions for yourself." But as quickly as respect had come, so came a sigh. "Your families have my respect and sympathies. I hope to see you avenge their memories in your due time, but we will do what we must."
And just as quick, so did Samus respond with a harsh screech. It was not a yell like a human, but the harsh barking call of an angry avian. Fear and anxiety had given way to angry and determination again, and be that Sal 'Narai was a good two to three heads taller than her and outweighed her by several hundred kilograms or not, her resolve was set. "Don't talk about my father like he's already dead and dust!" She was aware of the stares from her human compatriots and the Mantu chairman at he outburst. It wasn't enough to deter her. "There are not just soldiers there, but Chozo who survived the invasion, and I will not just stand by as they suffer and we still can retake Zebes from the Kromus!"
Those slit eyes snapped back to Samus just as quickly as they had left her. The Arbiter felt generations of predatory instinct kick in as he slammed a foot down, the heavy thud resonating through the floor panels of Kea'ton's offices. "You were not even able to walk when I and other warriors, your blood kin included, took the war against the Kromus to their home systems, child! By what merit do you feel can make this kind of claim, untested against a real foe?!"
"Not everything can be solved by firing a half mile wide projected beam of plasma at the ground and tearing open a planet's crust!" came the angry retort. When the Arbiter pulled his head back, almost in shock, for even just a split moment, Samus verbally pounced. "You may say your people have grown since the Covenant collapsed over four hundred years ago, but that is still the solution the Sangheili always come to when the Kromus are involved, and I will not see the sacred homeworld be carved up like a dinner meat!"
Now it was Adam and Dane who were nervously watching the byplay before them. "Samus, I really don't thing you who'd be-"
A meaty four digit hand rose up to silence the young commander. Sal 'Narai did not speak immediately, but his breath had gotten heavier as he pulled himself to his full height, towering over Samus over a matter of feet. Their eyes locked, only for the Arbiter to see that, even after the lengthy contest, young Aran was not backing away, nor would she surrender to her own obvious fear and anxiety to submit.
Very curious.
"What would you propose then, child?" came the harsh voiced words as Sal 'Narai took a step back from the young woman. His four jaws clicked against each other as the saurian eyes never broke contact with her gaze. "Contrary to what I am sure many in the Federation will say of our people, the Sangheili do understand the concept of sympathy." A pause, again. "But we must also consider a far greater perspective than the immediate. The Kromus cannot be allowed to access the ancestral troves of the Chozo, and I will insure that they do not, by any means that are necessary."
She was silent. Wheels were turning in her head as Samus breathed in, trying to consider whatever she could say to buy them all the time needed to reclaim Zebes without destroying the planet and everything on it. It could even be just a simple matter of restoring the automated defenses of the planet that were under the Mother Brain's control, restoring the super intelligence itself to control of the planet.
And then it hit her. Her bid for time, the chance, at minimum, to save those who had raised her and made sure she had been given a chance to live when her previous home had been demolished. "The Chozo and some of the Confederation infantry are still alive at last contact," came the clearly strained words. "The pirates must have circumvented Mother Brain somehow, but if we can get the survivors out of there and restore the Tourian complex to full control of the planetary defense grid and the automated defenses in the whole system, we can avoid having to lose everyone on the surface and preserve the Cryptum."
"And how do you propose-"
"Send me."
No one dared respond. The human officers stared in shock while Keat'ton and Sal 'Narai had only confusion in their expressions. When it was clear that no one else had any idea of what her words entailed, Samus took a breath while quickly gathering her thoughts, trying to convert them to words that could make everything clear. "I grew up on Zebes, the Chozo raised me there since I was not even four years old."
"Sam-"
Her own raised hand was what silenced the admiral this time. The young woman kept her emerald eyes locked with the beady points of Sal 'Narai, focused only on showing her own resolve, and proving she was now just a fool blowing how air. "I know the ins and outs of the habitable regions in the Chozodia plateau, I know how to get to the central command sector of Tourian, and I can get the Mother Brain central computer back up and in control of the defense network."
"And the survivors?"
"I know where they will be and I can lead a small rescue team to them. From there, I have to go alone, or it becomes harder to circumvent the main residential Nest city with the Brinstar cavern network and other undeveloped regions that could backdoor into the central control sector."
The Sangheili Arbiter gave a low growl, verbal approximation for a frown, as he turned his weight and gaze in the direction of the three human fleet officers, before shifting his eyes toward Kea'ton for a brief moment. After that, he returned his attentions to the young Aran, noticing that her eyes were not wavering, despite that he could see a tremble in her body. Fear was there, yes. But so was determination and resolve. And as his own people knew from first hand accounts of history, sometimes all it took was one soldier to change the tide of conflict.
And if she couldn't, they would still have a chance to take the last recourse. But if she could...
"I will muster the expeditionary fleet," the Arbiter stated as he took leave and began walking toward the entry of Kea'ton's offices. "We will coordinate with the Confederation fleets for a blockade assault on the Kromus at Zebes in ten standard days time, while a special unit will take advance landing and assessment operations." Before she could move, the Sangheili turned an eye to Aran and clicked his jaws together. "Be ready to lead them to your kin, Aran. This is the only opportunity I can afford you before we must take more drastic methods to prevent the worst."
A nod to Morris was then the only gesture that Sal 'Narai gave before making his way out of Kea'ton's office and being rejoined by his own escort. There was a palpable silence in the minutes after the Sangheili had departed, and it took Morris himself to break it.
"Congratulations, Miss Aran," came the wry words as the commander-in-chief officer of the Confederation Armed Forces would turn toward the young woman. "I'm not sure whether or not it's truly a good thing, but you've gotten Arbiter Sal 'Narai's attention and managed to convince him to allow this very obviously hair brained scheme of a one man siege on Zebes." The General did not miss the shift in her expression from surprise to anger just before Samus began to open her mouth to retaliate. "I sympathize completely, Miss Aran. But you must understand that I find it hard to believe that one person can infiltrate that kind of stronghold and drive only Heaven knows how many Kromus out."
"General, I actually have to agree with Samus." Much to Morris' surprise, Dane moved to stand beside the young woman. "She knows the planet, especially the Chodozia plateau, like no one else we have on hand, and she has immediate access to Chozo technology that should allow her to circumvent the standard habitable areas that we would be restricted to." The admiral glanced to Samus for a moment, a nod to her as he took a breath, and continued. "As commanding flag officer of the Seventh Fleet and de facto admiralty in charge of fleet operations at Zebes, sir, I'm in full support of Miss Aran's proposal. Fleet charters give me operations authority to requisition outside private contractors as deemed necessary, so I am invoking that to contract her as a specialist."
The statement, not even mistakable for a request, seemed to affect Morris in a negative way as his face was unmoving, dark brow creasing as the man seemed to be deep in thought. And yet, despite what his initial reaction would have implied a smile broke on his lips as he simply nodded to Dane, then gave Samus a curt and casual salute. "So be it. Good luck then on your bounty, Miss Aran. I'll make sure to have a standard private military contractor fee transferred to your accounts, plus any other compensations as deemed appropriate by Admiral Dane upon your return."
A step toward the admiral, and a hand clapped Dane on the shoulder while Morris gave the man a soft smile of sympathy. "I know you want her as far from danger as possible, but also know she's right. Make sure she comes back, and I'll authorize whatever else you need for her, Cas."
"Just make sure the truth about her doesn't reach Borjigin," came the plea, worn and weary eyes staring at Morris in desperation. "I know we can use the morale and boost from her being John and Virginia's daughter, and being saved by the Chozo and raised by them after surviving K2-2L will make for very inspiring propaganda, but for God's sake, do not let Borjigin know she has Chozo blood in her." Those aged eyes turned only for a moment toward Samus before returning to meet Morris' own with Dane' plea. She deserves better than to be a DAW lab experiment, and we both know that's what will happen to her."
Morris hesitated, but finally nodded after seeming to consider what Dane begged him for. "She's a bounty hunter now, Cas. That means she's technically one of Kea'ton's." A smile
cracked his lips as the dark skinned general would turn his attentions to the aforementioned Mantu. "I assume you can agree with a general blanket on Miss Aran's genetic status as a respect to her family and the Chozo, Mister Chairman?"
Dane's eyes widened a bit as he craned his head toward the diminutive head of state over the Federation, wary that Kea'ton might refuse to keep such information under lock and key. The Confederation had withheld quite a bit from him and his predecessor regarding the Chozo, let alone what they had hidden from the Federation Congress and their committees as a whole. The Concordia had been the tip of the iceberg of secrets.
And it surprised him when Kea'ton gave, without hesitation, a confirming nod. "The matters of the Chozo and their ward, so long as without violations of recognized galactic law, are their own, and Miss Aran has already suffered enough violations of her own free will by the Pirates." It was there that Kea'ton hesitated to continue. Despite what he had said, he was clearly conflicted on the matter of a human youth, barely considered of adult age by her own species of birth, about to throw herself back into the traumatic warzone she had only just escaped a matter of months prior. Yet he had to acknowledge, it was her choice.
And her assessments were correct. A single well equipped soldier who actually knew the planet had a far better chance to infiltrate the pirate stronghold than a group of troops with no such intimate knowledge. And if she indeed had Chozo designed technologies to arm herself, the this girl was more than just well equipped.
She was possibly the only one who could do this.
"I wish you good luck, Miss Aran," the Mantu would intone as his voice was weighed down with worry and sympathy. "May you speed well to fortune, and I hope that I will be able to congratulate you in person for a successful operation once this crisis is concluded."
