"This is not up to discussion, Supreme Commander. Besides, it is not even your decision to make on her behalf, nor the Admiral's!"
Syrri had grimaced as she, and her father had made the trek up the hill to his War-Tent, already hearing the squabbles of the two Elite's.
"And it is not your word that is law, Special Operations Officer. Admiral Xytan had asked me to assist him in the matter, and in extension, watchover Syrri. It is you who should mind their depictions, and manners when it comes to the Admiraless's ships."
Syrri had pulled back the draped fabric of tent to see that the two males hadn't even acknowledged her presence, nor Xytan's.
"... This conversation is growing quite tiresome with you, 'Vadamee." Rtas growled to him as they were mere inches from one another.
"And I had already told Syrri that I would not argue with you, either outside, or gods forbid, before her. You should heed her words, as well..." Thel had finally dropped the argument on Syrri's behalf, which had earned him a small gratitude of respect.
Rtas, on the other hand...
"Pfah! Are you truly intimidated, let alone worried about some overgrown, mouthy, ornery Female? True, she may be the Admiral's daughter, but she must've truly hit you hard enough that your mind had come undone, and was put back into place! What? Did she plunge her bare claw into you hollow skull?" Rtas had prodded Thel with sneer.
Thel kept his maw closed as he knew that Syrri, and Xytan were standing in the tent as he had caught a small glimpse of Syrri's armor from the corner of his eye.
Syrri proceeded to tapping her foot in aggravation towards them, finally having a harsh grip of Rtas's attention as Thel had slowly, and calmly turned his head to her.
"Thank you, Thel, for taking my words into... Somewhat, account. Unlike another." Her eyes fixated coldly to Rtas as he had shifted his head to the ground, feeling a slight embarrassment for his behavior, especially towards any female.
"You have my greatest apologies, Admiraless..." Tras had dipped his head with closed eyes towards her.
"And you only have the slightest fraction of my muse, and attention. So please, while I still find your time of any value, please tell me of these depictions of my ship that you two have clearly been arguing about like rivalling first born, two sons..." She had removed her helmet, placing it onto the console, and had placed her hands spacingly, leaning over the console as her head was lowered with her glare towards them both, more so to Rtas than Thel.
Rtas had taken a breath, and cleared his throat as he collected himself., and proceeded to step closer to the console.
"I would ask of you to place one Destroyer to the Eastern Boarder of the Planet, and one at the Western. The rest of the Assault Cruisers of our fleet would fill the gaps, and our Glassing cruisers would be cloaked within orbit. The Admiral's Reign would be most useful-"
"The Admiral's Reign will not be used in battle. I will not allow it." Syrri had abruptly intervened mid sentence.
"... Pardon?" Rtas had tilted his head to her.
"I'm sure I spoke rather clearly, Officer." Syrri looked at him bluntly.
"I heard clearly what you said, but why have a Destroyer of this size, and not use it in battle?" He questioned her.
"It is used as an emergency contingency only. There are too many persons of highest value in that ship, and I refuse to put any of them in harm's way." She stated, standing taller.
"I understand the importance of men, myself, but they fight, and some die-"
"That ship if full of females, their kin, their mates, my highest oppertives, elders, and my wounded... The males who are pulled from battle, and those who do not participate... It is a token of valor, and it symbol of leadership, and mercy. My own brothers and their mate's and kin are aboard that ship, and I dare not put them in danger... It. Does. Not. Fight." She had only growled at the end at him, getting her message through quite plainly.
"... Understood, Admiraless." Rtas said with a nod.
"Good... My other ships may do as you had suggested, but my Communication's Cruisers are already in play, and have done their part."
Xytan's brow had furrowed, and he stepped into the conversation.
"Meaning?" He looked down to her.
"When we had first arrived here, we had preserved the Planetary defences, but we had rid of the UNSC ships, and had taken out their Communications, and had replaced them with our own random pattern of the same data, yet every transmission is unsimilar, which hasn't striked anyone with question. I say we'd have three months before the UNSC had raised suspicions, which is plenty of time to take the planet."
All three males looked at one another.
"... You can do that?" Thel questioned her.
"Yes... I can." She replies with a nod.
"... Impressive." He gave her a quiet praise, not breaking the eye contact between them.
"Thank you... But, I'm afraid I have to cut this short, gentlemen. Word does have to make it to my Ship-Masters if they are to play their parts." Syrri had dismissed herself without another word, leaving the tent.
Xytan had looked at the two males before they too had left the tent.
Thel was heading to his own War-Tent to speak with Vusan and Sekan, but Rtas was still accompanying him as he walked through this men.
"... Peculiar female, isn't she?"
Thel's attention was taken by surprise by Rtas's comment.
"Pardon?" Thel raised a brow at him.
"Syrri... Peculiar, isn't she?" He restated his question.
"I've no idea. Why?"
Rtas shrugged with a shake of his head.
"I've never seen a female such as her before in all my life. Doesn't she strike your interest any?"
Thel had felt a slight heat in his face at the question, and he had given Rtas a flustered glare.
"Meaning what exactly?!" He questioned him.
"You're not a fool, Thel... She's a very desirable female, wouldn't you agree?"
Thel's expression only intensified at his words.
"Rtas!" Thel growled at him quietly.
"What?! We're only males! It's within our natural instincts." Rtas looked at him as the continued towards Thel's tent.
"You do realize that she'd still the Admiral's daughter, yes? What if he heard you?"
Rtas only huffed with a roll of his eyes.
"More the reason to try and win her affections! A female with his lines. Think of the first born sons of the male that's be her mate! Her stature, elegant composure, narrow waist, high raised bust, wide hips-"
"I am not having this conversation with you." Thel had stopped him, and walked on.
"Thel... Come, now. Do you honestly think that no one here knows that you've never been with a female before?" Rtas looked bluntly at Thel.
Thel had only given him a grimace, sneering at him as his amber eyes bored holes into him.
"What. Does that. have to do. With her ?"
Rtas had looked to the side, able to see Syrri from where they stand, Thel following his line of sight.
"You were the one to tussle with her first."
Thel's flustered state had returned to him as he looked away, and down at the dirt below him.
"After I'd thrown her against the wall..." He said sheepishly.
"You what?!" Rtas snapped his head around to him.
"I didn't know she was a female until I'd thrown her against a wall, and she took off her helmet..."
Rtas sighed at him, shaking his head.
"You're a hopeless fool, Thel 'Vadamee." He stated.
"How well I know..." Thel sighed out, and Rtas left him as he entered his tent, and was already bombarded by Vusan's own spile.
" Gods, end me..."
Nightfall had finally came over Estuary, and the landscape glowed softly from the tents of the soldiers of the Justice and Deviation.
Thel was making his walkabout rounds, making sure that all was calm, and quiet inside of the campgrounds.
He had hears two Phantoms leave from Syrri's portion of the grounds, and had seen her standing outside of her tent before she had thrown her head back, and stepped back inside, seeming sore and exhausted.
Thel felt inclined on making his way to the Admiral's tent, almost arriving to it a little quickly in his mind as he could visibly see the female's silhouette.
"Yes?" Syrri had called out from inside the tent.
"Admiraless..."
He saw her head perk, and turn to the draped closed opening of her tent.
"You may enter, Commander Thel." She granted him entrance, and he had stepped in, yet froze at her presence.
She had removed her armor, and was only dressed in her skinsuit with the light metal plating.
Her pace slowed, noticing his stare on her form, and had turned her body towards him, snapping him out of his daze with a slight inhale as he adjusted himself.
"Yes, Thel?" She had looked down at her arms, readjusting her suit where her armor once was as she inquired him.
"I... Was just wondering how you were doing."
His words gave her reason to give a quiet chuckle as she had taken her cloak, and hung it on the armor rack.
"You? Wondering how I'm doing?" She looked at him with a light smirk.
He gave back one chuckle as he stepped further inside.
"I saw that you seemed quite spent for the day." He stated.
"Heh... I am, actually." She said before she groaned as she took a seat on the large cot in front of him.
"And you and I can agree that our bruises are starting to get a grip on us." She looked up at him.
He chuckled a little louder, rolling his shoulder where she had landed a few hits on him earlier that day.
"I believe I may be more bruised than you, I'm sure."
A small quiet fell on the two Sangheili, yet Syrri had broken the silence.
"Would you care for a drink, Commander?" She offered him.
"What for?" He asked as she stood, heading towards the small table, a decorative decanter, and a few glasses atop it.
"To signify that you and I are on common ground... A neutral respect for one another." She said.
Thel found himself smiled at the female, almost fixated on her form and tone.
"I will drink to that." He joined her at her left side.
She poured a glass for him and herself, and had handed him his.
They touched glasses, and downed their drink at once, placing the empty glassed down onto the small table.
Thel had taken a deep breath as the alcohol had traveled down his chest.
"That's a kick in the liver. What was that?" He tried to follow her with his eyes on her as she had walked behind him, her scent seeping into his again as the breeze had picked up.
"Ember stoked Brandy." She replied to him as she had returned to the cot, and stretched, and nuzzled into the bedding.
"It'll relax you far more than any hot soak will any day." She said, sitting hip to look at him.
His muscles seemed to loosen and relax after their drinks had settled in him.
He had decided to take a seat on the ground, relatively close to her as she sighed out.
She proceeded to tell him what all she planned to do once it was dawn.
The common interactions of her men, patrols, scouting's.
The usual that Thel remembers undergoing, and now orders.
He had also told her what he planned to be done to prepare for the first glassing, which she had pleasingly given her insight on the matter as well.
Thel's previous statement had seemed to peck at the back of his head as the continued to talk back and forth.
"What if Rtas was right?" He questioned himself.
He scolded himself internally, knowing that he shouldn't be dwelling on the conversation they had while being in the presence of Syrri.
Her yawn had caused him to fully focus on her once more.
The hour was late, and he knew if he was caught in her tent by either his men, gods forbid her father, Torak, or her brothers, he's have his neck strangled.
"I should get going... Leave you to sleep." He had said, standing to leave.
"Mmh, hmn... I'd like to see you fully rested, Commander." She said as he had out out her light.
"Sleep well, Admiraless..." He said before leaving her.
"Sleep well, Commander." He had slightly paused, and a faint smile crept onto his mandibles before he had walked on further to his tent.
He had stripped himself of his armor, and had landed heavily onto his cot, drowsiness quickly consuming him, and he surrendered to sleep.
The pass month on Estuary was a very successful one for Thel, and his fleet.
Especially now, when he has Syrri and her men.
He would always find her awak before the sun rose, and after the moon was at its highest.
Watching her interact with her men, always boosting morality every chance she had, always overseeing them, or other duties around the campsite, or during attacks, sometimes under Xytan's wing when he was around.
Yet, she never seemed to leave Thel's side under any circumstance they had found themselves in.
Thel was't unphased by the attempts on his life by the ONI assassins before in the past.
And neither was Syrri.
Today, he suspected nothing would be any different than before as he had returned from his patrol.
"This makes no sense! Where are they?! Where are my brothers, Torak?! " He could hear Syrri shout angrily at the older male, which made Thel sprint towards her voice inside of Xytans War-Tent.
He had pulled back the draped opening, and had eyes everyone until his eyes landed on Syrri, looking scared, and worried as she had locked eye with him.
"Thel! Have you seen Kieraan, or Valass at all?!" Her eyes pleaded to him as she was early chest to chest to him.
"They've not returned? It's mid-day already!" Thel had raised his voice, sharing her concern.
"I know! Which is what worries me... They left before dawn." She said in a pained tone.
"They could come back at any-"
"Don't! Give! Me! That! Spile! I want my men back! I want my brothers back! Valass is your son!" Syrri had lashed out at Torak, and Thel could hear the sound of boots rushing towards the tent.
"Admiral! We need you! now!" The male had quickly shouted, and Syrri was the first out of the tent, Thel directly behind her as they had sprinted to the edge of camp, seeing at least four of the Elite's that they'd sent, and Valass.
All of them were injured...
Badly.
Other soldiers had helped their brethren into the camp, Syrri looking over everyone as they passed her, and she had rushed to Valass's side.
"What happened?!" She had lowered her head to him as he winced in pain, unable to put any weight on his right leg, and had a tight grip on his left side, multiple, dark purple trains ensuing from behind them.
"They were... Everywhere... ONI... They were after you... They took... Gah... They took Kieraan..." He strained to say as they had taken him to the medic tent for Deviation, setting him down carefully.
"They what?!"
Valass had taken a firm grip on her arm, and glared at her.
"I promised him that I would not let you leave to go after him... I promised. He forbade you!" He growled at her.
"I can't just stand her idly by, and do nothing, Valass! What of Zokan?! What of Rale?!"
They blazed into each others eyes, neither one willing to listen to the other.
"... He didn't forbid me to do a damn thing. I'll go." Thel as stated, turning on his heels.
"What?!" They both shouted, yet Syrri went after him.
"Thel!" She had grabbed his upper arm, and brought his attention towards her.
"I'm coming with you."
Thel shook his head at her, and gently released her grip from her arm.
"No. I can't let you." He said calmly to her.
"But-"
"I will bring him back to you... I promise... I swear... I will bring your brother back to you alive. You have my word." He swore to her, assuring her through his eyes.
"... Your men need you, right now..." He had turned her attention towards her, and she nodded slowly.
Thel had turned to leave, yet her grip had found him again, and her pleading eyes pierced into him.
"Please... Be careful... And bring yourselves back in one piece." She begged of him, and he gave a firm nod.
"I promise..."
Syrri could only stand there, and crossed her arms as she rubbed her upper arms, watching Thel soon disappear to what she feared would be his end, yet she knew that she couldn't just stand, and had returned to the tents, and could only wait.
Three Hours Later...
The sound of soldiers hitting the floor rang in the metal halls as Thel had stepped over the Human, and proceeded further to the Prisoner's Stock, and had searched for Kierran within the cells.
His right shoulder had been lashed by one of the soldiers by a combat knife, yet his determined state had blocked out the injury, even though blood as cascading how his arm as he continued.
Once he had found him, he had saw the slow drip of his blood, coming from his forehead and left arm, as it was completely splinched from the chest out.
Thel had opened the door with his sword as Kierran was panting, trying to raise his head to the male.
"Should've known she'd send you..." He mumbled, his body tiring from his blood loss.
"I came here on my own, actually..." Thel said, releasing Kieraan from his restraints.
Kieraan had cried out in pain, curling up as Thel had kept his arm around his shoulder.
"You're alright... Let's get you out of here." He said, and had navigated his way back out of the base, yet left something behind for good measure, yet he wouldn't see the deed done until far after he'd returned back to base camp.
Thel had carefully laid Kieraan in the passenger side of the Reveant, and had gotten into the operator's seat, and had sped away from the facility, back to Syrri to give her back her brother.