-1Tears of the Arbiter

The Arbiter stood in Cairo Station's darkened observation room, gazing out into the vastness of space. The room was lit with soft lights and was painted black, to aid in the relaxation of the marines that were stationed there. A small hologram with the marine symbol rotated slowly in the centre of the room. Since Sergeant Johnson and Commander Keyes had brought him here, the marines had consistently been following him with drawn weapons. He knew all about Halo and what it was all about, thanks to the Prophet that called itself 343 Guilty Spark but for what price? He had lost his home, High Charity, to the despicable parasite, the Flood. Everything that the Arbiter had been told, had been believing in had been a lie. Halo wasn't the gateway to salvation as he was told, it was a weapon. A weapon that must never be used. And upon learning of what happened to his home, the Arbiter had been, for the first time in his life, lost. He only went with the humans as he had no where else to go. They seemed ok enough, not the base, crass and uneducated people he was told about when he was barely an elite. Still after seeing Johnson help him out in the fight against Tartaurus, the brute chieftain, he had changed his view on the humans but not much. Now he was here as what? Their prisoner? No, he was allowed to wander free. Their guest? No, he was followed by armed marines. He once again turned his mind to where the rest of his people were. The remaining Hierarchs. Regret had perished at the hands of the demon, Mercy had disappeared and was presumed to have fallen to the Flood and Truth was heading toward the ARK to activate the holy rings in order to speed up The Great Journey. The human battle fleet was holding off the entourage of Truth. But that was not what racked him with doubt. He had sided with the enemy. He was now not only a heretic but also a traitor. He heard the door slide open and he turned to see who had entered. A young looking marine stood framed in the door. The Arbiters eyes had gotten used to the low light and he could easily pick out the young mans features. He wore the green armour of the human marines complete with the helmet. He didn't have a weapon it seemed. All he was holding was a cup of something. The Arbiter grunted and turned back to the window.

"So, your the Arbiter the whole stations talking about." The young marine spoke.

Footsteps on the carpeted floor indicated that he was coming closer. The Arbiter remained silent, watching his reflection in the window.

"You ok?"

The Arbiter turned to look over at the young marine at his side. He didn't expect a question like that to be asked.

"What?" the Arbiter replied, looking round and down at the young man stood next to him.

"Are you ok? You've been through a lot."

"Yes, I'm fine."

The Arbiter turned back to the window, hoping the man would go away.

"The names Private David, what's yours?"

Once again The Arbiter remained silent.

"Not in the talking mood? That's alright, I understand. I know what it's like to lose your home and family. We're practically the same."

The Arbiter turned to face the marine.

"How are we the same? I fail to see your logic human."

"Well, my family and I lived on Reach. I escaped on board the Autumn when it was attacked by your fleet."

"So you have come here for revenge?" The Arbiter asked.

"No, it started out as revenge but now I feel sorry for you."

The Arbiter was puzzled. First off this human wants to kill him and now he feels sorry for him?

"Why do you feel sorry for me? Even though you know it was me that destroyed your home and killed your family."

"Well, when I was on The Autumn, I vowed to kill the one responsible. But then upon seeing Halo destroyed, I felt as though I did get my revenge."

"So why do you feel pity for me even though you got what you wanted?" The Arbiter said with a slight tone of anger in his voice.

"Well, a lot has happened to you all at once. First of you find out what Halo is really about, that the Hierarchs lied to you, losing your home and the others you knew, being in a strange place. It's a lot for one to take and that's why I feel pity for you."

"I'm fine. I don't need anyone to check if I'm ok." The Arbiter said angrily as he turned back to the window.

David sighed, still holding the cup.

"You know, you're a hero among some of the other marines. Even though they won't admit it, they see you as a hero, not a heretic."

The Arbiter turned to look over his shoulder. The marine stared straight ahead into deep space.

"Do they?" Asked The Arbiter quizzically.

"Of course they do. You stopped that brute from activating Halo and wiping us all out. I heard that there's gonna be a medal in it for you. You know, you're the first of the Covenant to get a medal? Well that's more that what the Hierarchs would give you. I managed to get some info out of High Charity's computer and I know all about what the Hierarchs had recorded and what I found out may shock you."

"What were you doing going through the computers?" The Arbiter asked with a sense of urgency and slight anger.

The marine now turned to face The Arbiter.

"It was to stop those bastard Flood from getting it. If they can use weapons then they can use computers. I couldn't take the risk. We both know what this fucking parasite can do. It won't stop them but it will slow them down a lot."

The Arbiter was silent and hung his head. The marine was right and he knew it. Sighing, he looked back up at the marine.

"What did you find that's so shocking?" He asked in a more sombre voice.

"Well, I hope your prepared for this." David said with a sigh.

"Yes, nothing is worse then what I have been through."

"Ok, if you say your ready, here goes. Now you know that you were tried for heresy, but did you hear what the prophets spoke as you left the court?"

"I heard something but couldn't make it out over the noise of the crowd."

David took out a small cube from a pouch on his belt and held it in his hand. Pressing a button on the side, a small beam of light shot up and opened out. Within sat a hologram of Truth, it moved as the audio kicked in.

"But when the Great Journey begins, your heresy will stain your feet. And you will be left behind."

The marine turned off the data cube and placed it back in his utility pouch. The Arbiter stood aghast at what he just saw and heard.

He looked back up at the marine with a renewed sense of meaning.

"And that's not all that I found. I found out that the prophets didn't intend to forgive you if you succeeded or not. In fact they wanted you to fail so then they could string you up by your entrails. They only granted you the pardon as The Arbiter as they wanted to have some fun with you before you died. You were to provide them with entertainment while they watched you struggle."

The Arbiter shook his head, not wanting to believe what the marine had said.

"Also they lied to you about "The Great Journey" and they knew it."

"What?"

The marine had made a serious allegation which The Arbiter hoped he could back up.

"What is the meaning of this…this…heresy." The Arbiter hissed.

Without a word the marine reached into another utility pouch and withdrew a small disk. He walked over to the slow, rotating holographic display and pressed a button. The marine symbol disappeared as the system ejected the old disk and the marine slid in the new one. At once an image of the three Hierarchs appeared and they seemed highly troubled. The Arbiter took a few steps closer to get a better look at the figures.

"But you know what was on the first scared ring, why send our troops to their deaths?" asked Mercy.

"If we told them about the parasite, our whole civilization that we built up will descend into chaos, as before." Truth answered.

"The only thing that keeps everyone going is the prophecy of The Great Journey. If they didn't have that, they would lose all hope." Regret added.

"Yes, but those humans destroyed one of the sacred rings. This hasn't boded well for the Covenant, and many are questioning the faith. If we don't address this problem then the holy order will, as Regret put it, descend into chaos."

Truth kept his usual cool composure.

"It is in times like this that the people need a hero, someone to show them the light and to shame those that thought of renouncing the faith. Someone to show the masses that everything is not lost and to give them hope. But also someone we can control and whose fate is sealed."

"What do you have in mind Truth?" Mercy asked in earnest.

"Why, is it not obvious Mercy? We have had him before us when he returned to our city." Truth spoke.

"Wait, you mean that Sanghelli that lost us the first sacred ring?" Regret asked.

"The very same my dear Regret. He's due to die and we also can hold him in our power. He's the perfect candidate."

"Ahh, yes. Him." Mercy crooned in his usual slimy way.

"A very good idea Truth." Regret answered with his usual type of bravado.

"All we have to do is keep him thinking that he will be forgiven and allowed to join in 'The Great Journey' and he'll be our puppet." Truth added slyly.

With that the images buzzed and flashed before dissolving into static. The marine ejected the disc from the holocorder. The Arbiter hung his head, overwhelmed by what he had just seen. The marine stepped up next to The Arbiter, hoping to lend aid. He didn't know what to do, so he did the first thing that came to his mind.

"Here, take a swig of this." He said, holding out the polystyrene cup.

The Arbiter looked round at the marine and then down into the cup of ruddy liquid. He was suspicious of it.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's only tomato soup. I thought you might want something to eat."

The Arbiter looked at him with suspicion.

"Hey, I'm not trying to poison you if that's what your thinking. Look, I'll drink some to show you it isn't poisoned."

And with that he took a quick mouthful.

"See? It's alright. Have a quick swig, you look like you could use something."

The marine was right. It had been a while since he had eaten and he was getting hungry. Still whatever this human was offering was better then nothing at all. He held the cup, looking at it, trying to work out how it worked. The marine watched for a moment before coming up with a suggestion.

"Try putting the cup to the opening in your neck and tipping it slightly. That should work."

The Arbiter put the cup up to his throat opening in his neck and lightly tipped some of the soup down his gullet. His palate suddenly came alive with the tang of the soup and the warmth it held. The Arbiter lowered the cup, impressed with the taste.

"How is it?" David asked with a smile. He judged from The Arbiters wide-eyed reaction that he liked it.

"It's…..different." The Arbiter said, not wanting to admit that it was actually quite delicious.

The marine smiled slightly. He knew The Arbiter found it tasty.

"So, what's your name?" The marine asked.

"My name?"

"Yeah, what did they call you when you lived at High Charity."

"Ufual' Duwalee." The Arbiter responded.

Just then a faint beep filled the room.

"Private Davis here." He responded, holding up the comlink, a holographic version of Johnson's head and shoulders appeared..

Sergeant Johnson grunted. He hated how he answered his comlink like that.

"If your finished with your boyfriend, David, your needed in the main reception hall. They're starting without you."

"Ok sir, I'm on my way." The marine spoke as Johnson's face disappeared from the comlink.

"I gotta go, but I'll be back for you. Once this is all finished, I'll give you a tour of the station."

With that the marine walked toward the door when he stopped.

"If you want some more soup, there's a food dispenser right here." He said pointing it out before he hurried out the door.

The door closed, leaving The Arbiter quite alone. He turned back to look out into the vastness of space once again, the words of the young marine echoing in his head. Then, in a daze, The Arbiter turned and walked in between one of the sofas and the hologramatic table, placing the soup on the table as he passed. As he approached the small stairs that let to the smaller booths, The Arbiter stopped as the truth finally hit him. He collapsed to his knees, feeling pathetic, as he broke out in tears. He had been used every step of the way. He wanted to dismiss all what the marine had said, to stand up, to forget all that had taken place. But the marine had spoken the truth and he had blindly followed. They say that Arbiters never show emotion. They are the will of the prophets and that will must be done without any questions. As Ufual' Duwalee knelt there, he closed his eyes and he wept in silence.