Halo Alien Brackets

(hilariously wrong theories #1)

Shadow of Intent had other goals - mainly the search for a San'Shyuum flotilla - but that search was taking an eternity to bear fruit. In between the hunt, the ship would take part in defense of Sangheili territory, diplomatic matters, and even urgent combat operations if desperately needed. This mission was a bit of all three, and it helped that Shadow of Intent had already been a good distance close to this system. Who knows - maybe the culprit they'd unmask would in fact be the missing San'Shyuum, attempting to use the "cursed" planet as a hiding spot nobody would dare check.

(hilariously wrong theories #2)

But what if they were all wrong. What if there was some third party or unknown factor playing against both sides? What if this thing was the reason for this planet's dreadful name?

In the deep recesses of his mind, Rtas could not help but think of the Flood. Remnants of the parasite were still hidden across the galaxy, imprisoned by the Forerunners but just as capable of returning to its former conquest if underestimated. There were a few rare occurrences, barring the encounters on the Halo rings, that the Flood was said to have appeared during the war. It was not impossible to imagine that these ship casualties were due to the crews trying to prevent the parasite from breaking free from this system. Even then, it did not have to be the Flood themselves - there could other horrors that the Forerunners kept hidden on the old worlds.

Were there truly castaways waiting for them on the surface? Or was it something else that was just as eager to travel to the greater galaxy using their ship?

(Tul & Vul getting along + Rtas' having a good unstressful day)

"Shipmaster!" Another voice broke through COMMs, but this time from Tul. "We have located the humans-"

Both Rtas and Vul whirled around, facing the cave.

"In there?!" he asked, incredulous on the stroke of luck. "So the envoy has-"

"Throw your weapons towards the cave entrance first. Or else they will shoot."

Vul scoffed. "And why would we fear a few-"

"Not at you, fool!" Tul fired back.

With that declaration, Rtas could only wonder how things went wrong.

(suspicious slip-up #1)

"Hold on..." the leader said. "How do we know this isn't a trap? That all you're saying is a lie? Mo-"

Despite possibly being a subordinate, one of the humans at his side slammed a shoulder in his side.

"The Lieutenant Commander said Innies sometimes tried working with the Covenant!" Melody took note at the correction there.

(suspicious slip-up #2)

"We're not letting either of you out of this cave just yet," the leader replied back. "Not with your buddies right outside. The Lieutenant Commander is on her way."

One of his buddies faltered then. "But... When she gets here, she's gonna-"

"Not in front of them, idiot!"

(uh-oh Rtas)

And Rtas had just landed a majority of his ground-side forces on the mouth of a super-weapon. Now he had a second reason to worry for Stolt.

(Energy Sword Sunday)

The only thing Stolt found that was familiar with them were the Energy Swords at their sides. Couldn't be Sangheili without them.

(Rtas propaganda)

"And this Shipmaster? Can you vouch for him as your Rangers have for you?"

"Can I? His renown is second to only our founder! The sole survivor that quashed one parasite outbreak, the leader that sprung up to quarantine High Charity when another hit, the commander that won against a Covenant fleet with a 3-1 disadvantage, the one who bested a Prelate and saved a colony world from destruction!" If Rtas could hear this, he'd surely be shutting this down, but Stolt knew that playing him up was the best play here. He could see it in 'Lakosee's eyes - Rtas' worth was being tested right now, and he wasn't even here to defend himself! So it'd have to come down to the words of a subordinate, just as it worked for Stolt; and even if Stolt was exaggerating his tone a little, he truly respected Rtas more than possibly anyone else. Maybe even a bit more than the Arbiter himself, although it helped that Stolt saw Rtas every single day in comparison to the mythological-levels the Arbiter had taken on to everyone outside of his immediate vicinity.

(uh oh Stolt)

Stolt blinked once. Then twice. And for the rest of the wait time for Rtas' arrival, he debated on whether these were a better or a worse kind of crazy cultists.

(heheh i'm kicking my legs)

"There is no deal sweet enough to make me betray the Arbiter," Rtas said.

(Rtas' day goes from good to great)

So, this had to be it - the full and honest truth. This Worldmaster could do miraculous things with his mind somehow and everyone believed it was due to the divine.

Thel's mind was still on the textual transmission sent to him when a sudden visitor broke his train of thought. It was one of his staff, letting him know that Admiral Lord Hood was making a sudden call request. Already suspecting what brought that on, he gave his approval. Only a few moments later, he was connected to Lord Hood via small holographic messaging - and couldn't even get a greeting out.

"I sincerely apologize for the overreach in boundaries that intern caused. I swear, the unauthorized decision to send that does not reflect at all what the UNSC stands for, and we greatly respect our alliance with the Sangheili."

Thel raised a hand. "I can perfectly see that, Lord Hood. For what other reason would your people be holding an... 'popularity tournament', if not out of respect?"

The grim line Lord Hood's mouth formed suggested there were other reasons, but Thel chose not to pry. Although, admittedly, it did make him curious on just how somehow could intend disrespect over a popularity contest. Perhaps because the nature of only one winner could be seen as an insult to all the losers? Even if most Sangheili did not particularly care about humans' opinions on themselves - either as a species or as individuals - it was probably safe to keep this secret, just to be safe.

"Civilians can take matters down... interesting routes, on social media," Lord Hood continued. "It was already a trend to run these contests over everything imaginable. When someone got the idea to do this with all the known Sangheili individuals, it was decided to hold off on addressing it. No need to bring further attention to it.

"But no one could've imagined someone trying to actively bring it to your attention."

He was clearly mortified. A bit embarrassed, too. And while Thel would love to throw him a bone and allow him to quickly put it out of mind, there was a thought he just couldn't leave unspoken. It was all that had been on his mind in between receiving the "tip" on the contest and Lord Hood's call.

"I see it as a compliment, that so much of your population can see me - and others of my people - so positively, in spite of how young our alliance is. There is one piece of feedback, though, that you could perhaps forward to... 'social media', on my behalf."

Thel could almost swear the shading of Lord Hood's holographic face got brighter, lighter in color. "I can try and pull some strings. Depending on the message."

Leaning closer on his desk, resting his elbows on the surface and interlocking his hands, Thel began, "I can understand why so many humans would vote for me in the case of a popularity poll. I am the one with the closest relationship to your kind, with the most cases of notable - peaceful - interactions, outside of my Covenant career. I am possibly the only Sangheili much of your kind even recognizes on an individual-level.

"But I must make a case for my opponent, Rtas 'Vadum. His leadership and diplomatic abilities surpass my own. He has a way of connecting with those hostile to him in ways I have yet to replicate - the Prelate that initially sought personal vengeance being one such example. It is the reason I trust him so much with the task of searching for the lost San'Shyuum - he is perhaps the only one capable. Capable in finding them and capable in forging peace. And while I am sure his crew are loyal to the Swords of Sanghelios, if they ever had to choose between myself and their shipmaster, I am also sure what their choice would be. And he has earned that loyalty.

"I also must point out his accomplishments - which hold less awkwardness than my own, particularly in the context of relations with humanity. He is the reason the Flood did not infect my fleet at the first discovered Halo, emerging the sole survivor of a perilous situation. His actions at the second Halo, I truly believe, ensured the strength of the Separatists that went on to aid humanity. It was him that did a lot of the rallying, it was him that claimed the crucial Shadow of Intent, and it was him that held our forces together in my absence. Again, his ability with words were valuable in maintaining morale, during the final hours of the Covenant. And his tactical mind, in emerging victorious when the odds were 3-1 against him.

"In conclusion... I feel the victor in this little contest should be him. Not me."

As Thel had explained his reasoning, Lord Hood had crossed his arms, eyes intently focusing. Maybe not necessarily on the Arbiter. When he finally had the opening to speak again, it seemed that he had become the one who couldn't help but let a pressing thought out.

"Really? Him? You're arguing he is the better leader, military man, diplomat - than you? And humanity should recognize that?" His arms uncrossed and went to his sides. "Do you know that to some, laying even a finger on Earth is more egregious than glassing dozens of colonies - even glassing Reach?"

"That is why I said less awkward." He should have braced for this skepticism, especially from Lord Hood. After all, he and Rtas did have a verbal spat that one time. Perhaps Lord Hood could never forgive Thel, but he certainly could maintain peace around him. There were valid reasons - not related to duty - as to why those two's paths never crossed again. Surely, Rtas would feel a bit of the same - he was not apologetic for Africa's partial glassing back then, he certainly wouldn't hold any regrets now. Not with anything related to the Flood.

"Although..." He sighed. "I can see why having a Sangheili other than you receive positive recognition is diplomatically valuable. If the peace between our species is centered solely on you, then it risks falling apart as soon as you're gone."

"Yes... there is also that angle to this."

"I will forward your argument to my colleagues and leave the choice up to them. They're the ones who deal with civilian matters more, anyway."

A funny thing about jointly occupied territory, is that it sometimes meant alien access to humanity's Waypoint - the interstellar network where the current iterations of social media called home. Such access would mean becoming aware of discussions of aliens online - including a certain popularity contest. And such awareness might warrant, to some, the passing of knowledge via word of mouth or transmissions. Even if no one directly told the Arbiter about the contest, it would have reached his ears eventually.

Just like with the Arbiter, there were those curious as to what Rtas' reaction would be like, and it thus reached him, too.

"Of course the Arbiter would win their approval," he said. "He deserves it. His higher reputation amongst humanity aside, he deserves it. He is the Arbiter, the one who freed our people from the Covenant's lies, the one who resurrected the Swords of Sanghelios, the one who proposed the Concert of Worlds. There is nothing I could do that he could not do better.

"Why is this even a contest? Amongst humans, no less? It was his word that kept me from glassing their entire planet, just to stop a Flood outbreak. It was his word back then that caused many Sangheili to ally with humanity, rather than fight both the Covenant and humans. It is his word now that continues to keep many Sangheili from seeking another war. Because he has proven his wisdom, and he has proven his honor. Those who continue to doubt either are fools that hold our people back. And their leaders cannot even match him."

"Well, hold it right there," Stolt, one of his most prominent subordinates despite being an Unggoy, cut in. "Have you seen the rest of this? The Arbiter is trying to convince these humans to vote for you."

Admittedly, he barely even started. When he saw it was nothing but a meaningless popularity poll human civilians were running, he stopped giving it much thought. Partially, it was due to already being convinced of the outcome - that the Arbiter would reign supreme and he would hardly been given notice. The only reason he wasn't questioning the fact that he was even named in this poll in the first place was due to there not being very many notable Sangheili in the human public eye, as far as he could tell. But he and the Shadow of Intent had played an important role in the end of the war, after the alliance had been forged. It wasn't completely out of the question that he garnered a bit of human attention over that - and not just from ONI spies.

It also wasn't out of the question that the Arbiter would speak of him around humans and make them more aware of his existence... such as now. He skimmed through what had been sent until he reached that part, quickly absorbing it.

Then he shook his head. "He is far too humble. A good chunk of this is mere exaggeration. How he even got the impression I was this grand, I have no idea. I am only doing what he asks of me to the best of my abilities. He deserves no less than that, and that does not make me superior. He would excel at all the same tasks had he the time to do them - it is only I who succeeded, because someone had to in his place.

"Besides, he is forgetting some of his own accomplishments that have nothing to do with humans. When he first became Arbiter, he passed his first mission with flying colors. I honestly did not expect him to even survive, pulling off the stunt he did - selflessly cutting the safety cables of that mining facility to draw out his target, while allowing all my men to retreat to safety. He did that knowing I would not come back for an Arbiter - he did it unaware that anyone would."

"Ah, but that was a mission to kill 'Heretics', right?" Stolt said again. "I'm sure the bitterness of knowing they were right all along and didn't need to be killed is why he would never even think that a merit."

"The target is irrelevant. The sentiment of his actions is what matters." Leaning back into his shipmaster's chair, he continued with a softer voice, "And he is wrong. About his talent for speech. And Infinite Succor... The fact I was the only survivor should say enough regarding my leadership in that moment. And the fact I was able to go back into the field, to command troops again... should say enough regarding his ability to speak to those under him. He has earned more loyal soldiers than I - and not entirely because he meets more people than I."

Clearing his throat, his voice hardened again. "Take the colony of Om'a'Varo, for instance. Those who settled on Rak. I believe it is not just him being humble that he's selling himself short - he takes the cases where his words are not enough to be a failing on his part, and not the failing of the other's mind. There are some who will just not listen. But he has gotten many to do so."

"So what I'm hearing is... we need to send in our own message to the humans to counter his?"

Rtas huffed. "That will not be necessary. Even with his endorsement, the humans will still choose him. I am certain of that. In the time we could draft a pointless transmission, we could be using our time and systems for more important tasks. This conversation, too, holds little worth - the only value being a stronger reiteration of what is already known."