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Disclaimer: This story should only be viewed by people of the ages of 18 and above due to its strong and heavy scenes that are M/M in nature. All characters portrayed in the story are of the age of consent. If you do meet the requirements and enjoy this sort of content, then by all means please, take off your pants, relax, and fap to your heart's content.

**A Halo Fanfiction:

Interspecies Relations** _by RVasil

Commissioned by: B3atFr3ak_

"You have got to be kidding."

Doctor Jacob Lane found himself sitting inside one of the base's conference rooms. It was a small room, surrounded by four blank walls. One side had windows that showed a clear view of the outside, allowing natural sunlight to spill in. The white lights above him were turned on however, slightly dim from the constant use it had to endure after countless meetings conducted. Jacob found himself sighing as he leaned back against the foldable metal chair, his eyes closed, his brow furrowed, and his finger gently pressing on his right temple. He could feel a headache coming and he was already dreading it. The person seated across from him remained patient however. While it wasn't in Jacob's nature to be disrespectful, especially in front of someone as highly esteemed as Lord Hood, he couldn't help but break decorum due in part to what he just heard.

"I assure you, this is not a joke," Hood replied, looking at him sincerely.

Jacob's eyes flickered to the higher ranking officer. He wasn't even sure if someone like Hood knew jokes to begin with. Hood, or Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood, was the highest ranking officer of the UNSC. If you ever wondered who the "brass" referred to in the saying, it was him. Compared to Jacob who was wearing the simple army fatigues that were stained with dirt, blood, mud, and everything else, Hood was the complete opposite. Dressed in a sharp white suit, there was no sign of a wrinkle or a stain. It was clean, prim, and proper; his badges shined whenever the light hit it properly. If you had told Jacob that Hood wanted to see him personally today, Jacob would have jabbed you at the shoulder for fucking with him.

Jacob sighed once more, opening his eyes to look at Hood seriously. "Why me? I'm nobody," he answered. "I'm just a combat medic. I'm sure someone out there is better suited and better qualified for something like this." He paused. He then added 'sir' as an afterthought in an effort to remain respectable. "Why not my commanding officer? He's more experienced and frankly better decorated than I am."

"I understand your hesitation, Doctor Lane. This is, after all, an extraordinary proposition." Hood shifted in his seat, his composure still prim and proper. It seemed that years of hard decisions in the face of extreme pressure gave him an amazing poker face. "But surely you must understand the reasoning behind this."

Jacob momentarily removed his hat to scratch at his sandy blond hair, the black streaks at the tip momentarily visible. "You didn't answer my question."

Hood took note of Jacob's hairstyle. It wasn't up to regulation but he figured he would let it slide for now. Besides, Hood wasn't here to throw the book at someone. He was here to recruit them. "Because we have deemed you to be one of the perfect candidates for this particular endeavor. We're not using medals and badges as a metric." Hood reached for the tablet that was on the table in front of them and began to flick to the document that supported his answer. "Our records show that you have already interacted positively with the sangheili. You even saved one of them."

"I did," Jacob answered, the memory coming back to him. "Though 'saving' the guy was probably through sheer dumb luck. I had no idea if the biofoam was going to work on him but I had to try. The elite was going to bleed out if I didn't."

Hood used this as a jumping off point. "Why?" he asked pointedly.

"What do you mean why?" Jacob asked.

"Why did you save him, Jacob?" Hood asked. He stood up, idly straightening out the wrinkles that had formed on his clean and pristine white uniform. He even adjusted his hat slightly before continuing. "Why bother? After everything they've done to us, I wouldn't have blamed you if you had left the sangheili for dead. But you didn't. What made you act otherwise?"

Jacob sat in his chair, the question actively stumping him. The incident in question felt like a long time ago now. His mind flashed him images of what had happened to remind him.

Jacob and his squadmates were doing their best to fend off the Flood. The parasitic aliens were running amok, desperately trying to claim their next victims. The smell of lead filled the air as they fired a volley of bullets at the oncoming wave. They just kept coming and coming. Jacob thought for sure they were going to die. But then came reinforcements. Instead of the familiar sound of gunshots, he heard hot plasma whistle through the air. Jacob turned his head to find the sangheili coming up to help them. Any other moment in time, he would have been given up living entirely. But life has a funny way of turning things around. Once enemies now became uneasy allies. Instead of finding himself staring at the barrel of a futuristic plasma rifle, Jacob instead stood next to one, firing alongside it. The firefight was long and arduous. At some point, one of the more advanced Flood had picked up a rocket launcher and fired it at their position. They had to scramble immediately. Jacob's ears rang and he thought he was going to go deaf. Debris flew everywhere, the smell of fire and smoke filling his nostrils. By the time he regained his composure, he could see the sangheili that was standing next to him had gotten wounded. Blue blood was leaking out from the piece of shrapnel that had unfortunately pierced the sangheili's right arm. Jacob wasn't well versed in sangheili anatomy. But it didn't take a genius to know that the sheer amount of blood he was losing was not a good sign.

Jacob didn't think.

Amidst the loud sounds of shouting, explosions, and projectiles firing, the designated combat medic focused as he applied his training to help the wounded. He didn't know if it was going to work, but he was going to damn well try.

As the Jacob of the present reflected on his memories, his eyes flickered to Lord Hood who was waiting for him to answer. "I don't know," Jacob evidently said. "Maybe it was the Hippocratic Oath that was ingrained into my head once I finished med school?" He let out a wry smile. "Honestly, I can't tell you. I just don't know why." After a moment of thinking about it, he ultimately just said, "It just felt like the right thing to do."

Hood stared at him for a moment. Jacob tried to discern what the man was thinking but it was like trying to determine the mood of a brick wall. All he could see was an wrinkly old man who had seen war many times over. "Despite everything that has happened?" Hood asked pointedly. "Despite having fought them for many years, glassing our planets and killing thousands of people. Doctor Jacob Lane, can you honestly say that to me with a straight face?"

Jacob took a moment to breathe. "That depends. Am I going to get court martialed for my controversial opinion?"

There was a crack at the man's facade. A sign of a smile tugged at the corner of Hood's lips. "No. But it is that sort of mindset that you have that has made you the perfect candidate. I understand that many of us will hold grudges against the sangheili. I myself will never be able to forgive them for the atrocities they have committed. And I'm sure the sentiment is shared with most if not all of humanity." He then looked at Jacob sincerely. "However, I am open to change. I want to show humanity that this alliance isn't something temporary. But rather long lasting. I want everyone to know that they can be trusted. If the Chief himself could trust a sworn enemy to watch his back, then surely we can too."

"What if I say no?" Jacob dared to ask.

Hood reverted back to his typical neutral expression. "A shame, but understandable. This endeavor isn't something we will order soldiers to be part of. It has to be voluntary for obvious reasons." He walked to a nearby wall and rested his back on it. "You get to go back to your station and just forget that this conversation ever happened."

"And if I say yes, I get to be part of this...motley crew that the brass wants as a poster child to tell the world that we can work together with the sangheili."

"That's putting it very succinctly but yes," Hood answered. "So what do you say?"

0 = 0 = 0 = 0 = 0 = 0

The conversation Jacob had with Lord Hood happened months ago. Despite feeling like he signed his life away, not much changed. At least, at the start. Jacob still reported to his current commanding officer, and he still did his daily routine at the base in Voi. That included morning exercises, checking on the people at the infirmary, and doing the necessary paperwork that came along with it. Things began to move along however when he found himself being called for checkups. There was a health checkup; his health was monitored closely by a pair of doctors that were specifically brought on board just to check him and the other participants that were recruited. Then there was another health checkup; this time conducted by a sangheili doctor.

For some, they were the stuff of nightmares. Part of an alien group that came from the heavens one day and changed humanity's life forever. Jacob couldn't remember the first time he saw a sangheili in person. A part of him was grateful that he never did until as of recently. Despite walking in a somewhat haunched position, sangheili were tall aliens that easily stood heads above any normal human. They were naturally muscular, their arms rippling with strength that could crush a human skull without as much breaking a sweat. Jacob had to actually crane his head slightly just to meet with them eye to eye. Instead of wearing the typical sleek armor they were known for, this particular sangheili was instead wearing a labcoat, reminiscent of a blazer a doctor would wear if they were making rounds in a hospital. The alien doctor was fairly cordial, doing a weird notion with his mandibles that Jacob assumed was that of a smile. A sangheili's jaws were quadruple hinged, with an upper jaw and four lower mandibles arranged in two tiers.

The entire experience was a novelty as this was the first time Jacob had ever seen a medical officer from the sangheili race. Back at the time when they were fighting, he never once saw a medical personnel attending to wounded combatants. He never saw them to the point where he thought they didn't exist. Jacob actually wanted to ask the sangheili some questions but the doctor was unfortunately professional and kept conversation light. The sangheili introduced himself as Tev Kovamai.

The procedure in both situations were relatively simple. They checked his reflexes, his eyesights, his blood work, if he could walk, if he could run, if his heart was beating normally, and even his mental aptitude. It felt like he was a civilian, undergoing the necessary tests to make sure he was physically fit and able to serve in the military. It felt par for the course up until the sangheili medical doctor who was checking on him handed him a plastic cup.

It was outside of the norm, but Jacob's mind jumped to what he thought it was for. "Do you need a urine sample?"

To his surprise, Tev shook his head. "No. I need to check your virility."

He said it so nonchalantly that Jacob wondered if he had misheard the alien. "E-excuse me? Can you run that by me again?"

Tev was writing something on the tablet and upon hearing Jacob's request, just repeated his statement as if the order was as simple as asking for a saliva sample. "I need to check your virility."

So he did hear him correctly the first time. Jacob's curiosity got the better of him. "What for?"

This time Tev focused his attention on him. "I believe I was informed that you were already briefed on our practices as well as given reading materials to give you better insight into our culture. Was I told wrong?"

Jacob blinked. "Well, no..." His mind flashed him the stacks of confidential documents that were sent to him with a memo saying he needed to read up as part of the onboarding process. Reading it thoroughly would have taken him weeks, so he opted to just give it a quick skim. Most of the information he gleaned from it were cursory details; who the sangheili were, what their home planet was, and a basic understanding of how they operated on their ship. Maybe he missed something there? "I don't think I've gotten to that part yet."

The sangheili let out a light laugh. "No offense taken then." He cleared his throat. "To put it succinctly, we consider virility as a sign of a strong warrior."

That was...an interesting notion. It felt like the guy was just playing a joke on him but the sangheili remained serious. "Really?" Jacob asked.

"Yes," Tev answered. "I believe it's a phenomenon familiar with you humans. I've heard soldiers refer to it with the phrase 'having big balls', if I'm not mistaken."

That wasn't really literal though, Jacob thought. While his medical experience informed him that virility played only a little part in what would make someone a 'strong warrior', it wasn't his place to judge. Sangheili were an alien race. Applying human constructs, notions, and logic to their reasoning would be folly. They were different. For all Jacob knew, maybe it was true for the sangheili. He made a mental note to go back to reading those documents. He was going to need all the help he could get. The last thing Jacob wanted was to make a fool of himself and do a social faux pas.

"I see," Jacob responded. "Do you need this right now?"

"Preferably," Tev answered, "but I understand that such a request is a bit too demanding. You can have it sent over later when you've successfully extracted the fluids." Then Tev added a statement that caught Jacob off guard. "I would be happy to help if you needed the assistance."

Jacob blinked. That was a bit too forward, but as someone who also practiced in medicine, he disregarded it as Tev just being thorough with the process. "I can manage."

The days continued on and soon Jacob was rightfully informed that he had a clean bill of health, passing requirements set out by the UNSC, as well as the sangheili. Alongside this, it didn't take long for the project to be fully announced to the public. Lord Hood personally gave out a speech in front of the media, and basically told them what Jacob was told in private. In an effort to strengthen the alliance the humans had now with the sangheili, they were moving forward in creating a joint task force, named Task Force 117. Said group was going to be made up of humans and sangheili and were to be together in a ship. The name of the ship was the Relentless Progress; an appropriate name for what it was trying to accomplish.

Naturally, the response of the public was mixed. Some still held strong grudges against the sangheili and wanted nothing to do with them. Others were more cautiously optimistic; these people being the ones who mainly were fighting alongside the alien race at the latter half of the Covenant war. Regardless, the brass expected as much and kept tabs on those on the extreme ends on the spectrum. After all, risking another galactic war because someone decided to act on those grudges wasn't exactly the best idea given what humanity just went through.

Eventually, Jacob found himself sitting inside a pelican, alongside fellow humans who were drafted to be part of the task force. Most of them were fairly quiet, some deep in thought and clearly contemplating what their life was going to be like going forward. They were visibly anxious and Jacob couldn't blame them. He was too. If you had told him months ago that he was going to be working alongside the sangheili inside a sangheili ship, he would have called you crazy. No sane human would work with them. But life has a funny way of switching up the status quo.

The pelican soon docked inside the Relentless Progress and everyone began to file out. First impressions were fairly tame; while it was primarily a sangheili ship, it was modified to accommodate humans and the equipment they brought along with them. There were some warthogs parked near some ghosts. There was a mongoose next to a banshee. There was even a scorpion tank next to a wraith. The alien vehicles were colored differently from what Jacob normally saw them as. Instead of the vibrant purple that he associated with them, they were changed to that of a familiar military green. Or something close to it. It still had that sleek, alien, glossy sheen that somehow never disappears.. Next to the vehicles were various crates marked with the UNSC insignia. Some were already being unloaded and Jacob could see that they contained various items. There was a crate filled with nothing but ammunition. Some had explosives. There was one crate that was filled with food that he saw a sangheili was carrying effortlessly to the storage area.

It all felt natural in a way. Despite the anxiousness he could see and feel in the human people walking about, everyone in the area either avoided each other, or if they ever had to interact with an alien, treated them with cordial respect. It felt like they were back to the months prior, where they had to set aside their differences and opinions of one another just to work together to achieve a common goal. Jacob only hoped that this harmonious relationship would last.

This was the first time Jacob was ever inside a sangheili ship. Unfortunately, or fortunately, he was never part of squads who got assigned to assault a ship directly. The squads he was in prior were mostly on the field fighting the covenant and eventually the flood. The halls of the ship had that sleek alien architecture going for it. It was hard to put into words. If a human ship was mechanical, drab, and at times dull to look at, the sangheili ship was more vibrant, had curves to the wall and had interesting lighting. The metal panels edged outwards, forming circular angles. The floor had guide lights that illuminate the path forward. One thing that immediately stood out to him was the hastily painted signs on the floor. One sign pointed to the bridge, another to the armory, and another sign to another part of the ship. Jacob assumed this was put into place to help newcomers like him from getting lost.

For whatever reason, Jacob was informed he had his own private quarters, which came as a shock to him. By all accounts he was a grunt; another forgettable face in the crowd of marines that would rush off to battle to fight a war. It just so happens that he was a grunt who knew how to use a syringe and a stethoscope properly. He was used to being bunked in with fellow marines. What made them decide to give him an upgrade, he didn't know. But he wasn't going to question it.

Soon Jacob found himself standing in front of his personal quarters. The door slid open and he was greeted to a fairly modest space that looked like the best thing in the world. After not having a personal room of his own ever since he enlisted into the UNSC, it was odd to think he had all this space to himself. There was a bed on one end, and a desk with a reading lamp across from it. Both of them looked a size bigger than they should be and Jacob wondered if that was by design. Either way, he wasn't one to complain about having a bigger bed to sleep in. There was a door to the side and he quickly peered in to see that it was a bathroom. He couldn't even remember the last time he had the privacy of showering by himself. Jacob plopped his belongings next to the desk. There was a piece of paper on it and he took it to read what it said.

It would seem that they had a briefing session six hours from now. It was enough time for him to either get some sleep or mosey about, explore the ship and whatnot. After thinking about it, Jacob decided to do the latter. It was better to get familiar with the ship now while he still had the chance. After making sure everything was in order, Jacob decided to check out the places he knew he was going to be called to.

Finding the infirmary was thankfully not that difficult. Jacob was grateful for the signs on the floor. And judging by the way his fellow marines were staring at the floor themselves instead of where they were going half the time, they were too. The signs were an obvious eyesore, clearly breaking the aesthetic the ship had going for it, but they functioned and achieved their purpose properly. A few moments later, Jacob arrived at this destination. The infirmary itself was bigger than he expected. It actually had enough beds in it to accommodate a full squad of downed individuals. The beds themselves were larger than he anticipated. He briefly wondered why they were oversized but upon thinking about it, quickly realized why. The sangheili themselves stood heads above him. Of course, they would need larger beds to accommodate their stature. The fact that Jacob's bed at his personal quarters was unnaturally long made sense now too. Various medical equipment were in the room. There was a cabinet filled with medical supplies and medicine. Another had a bunch of gloves and testing equipment. There were even some items Jacob had never seen before, as well as diagnostic apparatuses that he wasn't sure what it checked. Thankfully no one was currently admitted. The beds were empty, and the machines were turned off. However, there was one person in the room.

"Tev?" Jacob found himself blurting out.

The sangheili wearing the white blazer from before rose his head up, wondering who had called him. Upon seeing the human standing by the doorway, his mandibles rose up to that odd formation from before; a smile. "Oh! Doctor Lane!" He stood up from his desk and walked over to Jacob. "I'm glad you decided to go through with the program."

"I had nothing better to do," Jacob remarked. "I hope you don't mind. I figured I could look around and familiarize myself with the area."

The sangheili nodded. "Take all the time you need. I believe we'll be working closely with one another given our skills."

"Are you a combat medic too?"

Tev shook his head. "Oh by the rings, no. I'm just a medical officer, I'm afraid. I'm unfortunately not good with a rifle. Could never really get the hang of it."

Jacob nodded. Though the notion made him wonder to himself. From what he could understand from the documentation he was given to read, sangheilis were warriors, priding themselves in their combat prowess and abilities, to the point that males in their society were drafted to be part of the military at a very young age. The idea of a male not becoming a fighter felt so out of place; almost like they'd be an outcast. The urge to voice the question sat at the tip of his tongue, but Jacob kept himself mum. He wasn't even sure if it was too much of a personal question to ask.

After taking a minute or so to converse with the sangheili, Jacob excused himself and let Tev return to whatever it was he was attending to. The next destination Jacob had in mind was the armory. He figured with the spare time he had on hand he could use it to get some practice shots in. Thankfully, the Firing Range was relatively close to the infirmary. The Firing Range was a large spacious room that allowed any personnel to get some shots in and work on their aim. There was the typical range itself; individual booths that faced forward that allowed the person to shoot at the mechanical targets that would move either slowly and methodically or fast and erratically. Next to it was the armory, locked behind a tag reader to keep tabs on who goes in and out and who borrowed what. Then there was this extra door to the right that was closed off. A sign next to it said 'Sniper'. Jacob presumed it was a room intended for sniper training. Though how exactly, he wasn't sure yet. Regardless Jacob entered the armory and briefly looked at what was offered.

The selection was wide and vast; you could fire anything here. Well almost. Grenades, rocket launchers, and other more devastating weapons weren't allowed for obvious reasons. Jacob briefly tapped his chin, staring at the battle rifle on the rack before he turned to look at the distinct glint at the corner of his eyes.

While the UNSC supplied the Relentless Progress with the typical human arsenal, such as pistols, rifles, grenades, and even rocket launchers; they all had one thing in common: they were made by humans and thus used human technology and ammunition like bullets. Sangheili weaponry was different. It didn't use bullets; it used plasma instead. Jacob couldn't remember the first time he had ever seen a plasma rifle. But he could remember what he thought of it at the time. It was damn impressive and he wished he could use one instead of being fired upon.

Jacob never actually got to use a plasma weapon. Not that he was afraid or anything, just that he never had the chance. That and he didn't know how to use the damn thing. But now that he was going to be working with individuals that would be using that as their preferred loadout, it was a smarter decision to just learn. Now that he got the chance to actually look at one up close and personal, he noted that the weapons themselves were emblematic of who the sangheili were: sleek, professional, and exotic. All the plasma guns on the rack had this weird glossy sheen to it, like it was polished to the point where you could see your own reflection. They even had this distinct purple color accompanied by the notable hexagonal honeycomb pattern on the surface. He decided to pick one at random, opting to go for what he remembered his fellow soldiers refer to as the carbine. It felt surprisingly heavier than he thought, to the point where he briefly wondered how people actually ran around with it. Then again, he had to mentally correct himself. People didn't use these guns. Sangheili did. He decided to put it back on the rack when he heard something.

"Hm?"

It was low, almost like a faint whisper, but Jacob managed to single it out despite the dull thrumming that was the ship's engines filling his ears with nothing but white noise. Jacob could recognize that sound from anywhere, and if he was out in the field, he would have quickly ducked behind any form of cover he could.

It was the sound of a plasma beam getting fired.

Jacob exited the armory, entering the Firing Range once more. He expected someone to be standing there, using a beam rifle but to his surprise, no one was there. At first he thought he was hearing things but, no, there it was again. Someone was firing a plasma beam and his ears informed him it was coming from the mentioned sniper room from earlier. His brow rose and out of curiosity, he opted to check it out. The door was unlocked and a few seconds later, it slid to the right to let him in.

The sniper room was dark, small, and made Jacob wonder what exactly it was for. On one side were a bunch of terminals, displaying information and data. A quick glance showed him a virtual landscape, presenting a recreation of a battlefield. He was about to move closer when he heard something that caught his attention. It was the sound of someone grunting.

"Indeed, your aim is true, but do not forget to adjust for the distance and travel time of the Beam Rifle."

Jacob turned his head and was greeted to an interesting sight. Despite the dim light that was coming from the large monitors in front of them, Jacob could see two sangheili lying on the floor. That was when it all clicked for him. This was a virtual training room. The terminals allowed you to dictate what environment you'd be training in, and then the large monitors would project the image for you, thereby allowing you to virtually practice firing shots over long distances in a controlled environment. He was about to go near the two sangheili to curiously see how they were doing when Jacob stopped in his tracks.

Were they...were they naked?

Jacob had to blink and squint. He thought for sure his eyes were playing tricks on him. But no, they were not. The sangheili fired the gun and the monitors flashed brightly for a brief moment to respond to his action. It was enough to light the room and give Jacob a clearer picture. And those two sangheili were definitely not wearing armor. Jacob could see their distinct purple colored skin with no armor to cover them whatsoever. What made it more jarring was that they were actually lying on top of one another, instead of what Jacob originally thought was them lying side to side on the floor. What the hell was going on?

As if to answer his question, the sangheili on top moved his hips slightly, and the sound of skin slapping against skin entered Jacob's ears. Two large hefty balls crashed against the alien's backside. The sangheili on the bottom groaned in response, clearly enjoying the sensations. Jacob's mind realized it in an instant and he quickly averted his gaze to give them some modesty.

They were fucking!

It was at that moment that one of them, the sangheili that was on top, sensed that someone else was in the room. He turned his head and made eye contact with Jacob. For a brief moment, both stared at one another, Jacob clearly unsure of how to approach the situation. Inevitably, Jacob came to the conclusion to do the one thing he can do. He pointed to the door and simply mouthed at the sangheili: 'I'm just going to go.' With that, he turned almost robotically and left the two to their devices.

0 = 0 = 0 = 0 = 0 = 0

The rest of the day felt like a blur for Jacob. At one point, he remembered walking to the cafeteria as he was hungry for something to eat. The food choices were surprisingly better than what they had on the base. He found himself even curious to try the food that was meant to be eaten by the sangheili. He was told they were approved for human consumption but may have unintended consequences. He ended up just grabbing something random and shoving it into his mouth. It was only later did he realize it was actually a fruit grown on sangheilios. Thankfully his stomach was fine with it. His mind however was not. Tried as he might, he could not stop himself from thinking about what he saw at the armory. It felt too unreal; almost like a practical joke his squadmates would play on him out of boredom. At one point he even had to mentally ask himself if it even happened at all. Maybe he had passed out on the bed in his room and just dreamed it.

They were having sex! Jacob thought to himself.

There was no other explanation for it. And yet, that statement alone felt so absurd. Questions buzzed in his head, each and everyone more crazier than the last. He tried to justify it. Maybe he was seeing things. Maybe the air in the ship was playing tricks on him. Maybe the change in atmosphere, going from natural air to processed air, was making his brain go haywire. That sort of thing happens every now and then. Jacob was so lost in thought that he ended up going through the motions mentally absent.

It was only when the briefing session happened did he snap out of his musings.

As per the program, Jacob and a few select soldiers were going to be working together directly under the supervision of a sangheili. They were labelled as Task Force 117.

The objective was fairly simple: aside from proving to the world that humanity and sangheili can coexist with one another, their task was to hunt down the separatists. While the Covenant itself fell apart once the de facto leaders they had, the prophets, were all killed, some smaller factions were born from the ashes. These factions, despite having different leaders and seemingly unassociated from one another, all had one thing in common: to continue the war against humanity as they still strongly believe that it is their right to do so.

Jacob would have paid more attention to the briefing but his mind felt distracted upon seeing who exactly was going to be his commanding officer. Jacob had seen various styles of armor design from the sangheili. From what he understood, the more elegant it was, the higher they were in rank. Even the color had specific designations. He had seen their respective versions for grunts, captains, and even lieutenants. They were colored blue, red, and white respectively. But the person Jacob would now recognize as his commanding officer was colored gold.

His boss was going to be the shipmaster of the Relentless Progress, Xaro Zaram.

Xaro's armor was exotic. While the lower ranking armor made sense in the way that it prioritized function over form, Xaro's armor design felt more like an expression of the self. It was angular, having sharp edges in some, and circular shapes in others. The headgear looked more like a headdress than a helmet, and the shoulder pads looked obnoxiously large and bulky. The entire thing looked heavy and it made Jacob wonder how they moved in these things. If the point was to make themselves look as threatening as possible, they achieved it given how the armor design itself exuded an intimidating aura. Jacob could see that there was the visible hilt of an energy sword strapped to the sangheili's thigh and a red colored plasma rifle at the other. Xaro was quietly observing at the back, letting a lower ranking sangheili by the name of Fezo Hadum continue the presentation at the front.

Whether it was by sheer accident or pure coincidence, Xaro and Jacob's eyes met at that instance. Now, it wasn't in Jacob's nature to be outright dismissive. Obviously no sangheili was the same as the other unless they were twins. Was that even possible in their kind? Either way, Jacob knew for a fact that he was just being ignorant in saying all sangheili looked the same. If they weren't wearing armor, Jacob knew he would struggle to tell them apart.

Jacob didn't know how to explain it. It wasn't a wild guess, or a gut feeling. But at that brief, singular moment in time, he knew. He knew with certainty.

He knew that Xaro, the shipmaster himself, and the lower ranking sangheili who was doing the presentation, Fezo, were the ones he saw in the armory.

The two that were fucking.

What solidified this thought even further was that Xaro refused to break eye contact with him. Jacob was the one who had to avert his gaze, feeling a bit unsure of where to look and opting instead to focus at the briefing that was now reaching its conclusion.

"...so we'll be arriving at Jastalar in 8 hours. Best prepare yourself for this excursion. The separatists will be on guard and we must do our best to triumph against them!" Fezo finished, raising his hand in a fist. The sangheilis that were listening intently to the presentation gave a resounding cheer whilst the soldiers at the other side politely agreed in affirmation. It would seem camaraderie in the team was something that was going to be addressed as time went on.

With the presentation over, everyone began to file out. They all understood they had eight hours of free time to do whatever. Some opted to sleep as they were really feeling tired and in terms of earth hours, it was already late at night. The thing about travelling in space was that there was no concept of day and night. It was just a suggestion. For soldiers like Jacob, instead of a clock, it was always a countdown or a deadline on when the next operation was going to happen and this was no exception. Whilst others opted to go to their bunks to sleep, some went to the cafeteria. A few soldiers actually invited Jacob to get something to eat and while he would have been open to the idea, he personally wanted to get some sleep. The day's excitement was finally catching up with him and despite his mind reminding him of the revelation that Xaro and Fezo were fucking at the armory, his eyelids were slightly drooping and his back was aching. He bid his fellow human compatriots farewell and headed back to his room.

A few moments later, Jacob was in the privacy of his own room. He was about to jump into the bathroom for a quick shower when he heard someone knock on his door. Curious, he tossed the towel he had on his hand back to his bunk and made a beeline towards the entrance. With a press of a button it slid open. To Jacob's surprise, he found himself standing face to face with a sangheili. Or more realistically, Jacob's head just barely reached high enough to meet with the sangheili's chest. He had to actually look up just to meet with the sangheili's gaze. Jacob wondered what the alien wanted but then quickly realized that this was no ordinary sangheili.

"X-Xaro!" he cried out.

Jacob could see the sangheili ever so slightly cock his head. Jacob quickly corrected himself. "I mean, shipmaster!" The title was a bit of a mouthful but it was something he was clearly going to need to get used to saying. "D-did you need something?"

There was a moment of silence and Jacob wondered what Xaro was thinking. Jacob hadn't gotten to the point yet where he could read sangheili expressions. For one thing, they didn't emote as much as humans did. That, and Xaro's face was mostly obscured by his gaudy helmet. "No," Xaro answered. "I did not need something. I wanted to talk to you." Xaro's voice was soft, yet deep and commanding. In some ways, Jacob was reminded of the way Lord Hood talked. Someone with years of experience coloring their thoughts and emotions and clearly thinking of what they were going to say before speaking it.

"Oh, uh, alright. What did you want to talk about?" Jacob asked although the moment he did, his mind reminded him of his realization earlier.

It would seem that even Xaro was on the same wavelength since he quickly addressed the topic at hand. "I wanted to apologize."

Jacob opted to be dumb. For all he knew, maybe he saw something he shouldn't have. The last thing he wanted was to be in trouble, or worse, be in the center of an alien-human relations nightmare scenario. "For what?" It wasn't the most convincing tone but he tried his best.

However Xaro wasn't buying it. "Can I come in?"

"Sure, go right ahead." Jacob stood aside and let the alien through. Now that he had a point of reference, it was beginning to make sense why the bed and the desk were a size bigger than they should be. They weren't made for humans, but for sangheili.

Xaro quietly scanned the room, taking note of what Jacob had done with it, which was barely anything since Jacob hadn't gotten to unpacking yet. "I do hope you find your accommodations to your liking," Xaro said, looking at Jacob.

"It's great!" Jacob responded. "I'm honestly used to smaller bunks. At first I thought there was a mistake in the room assignments but apparently there wasn't."

"That was by intention," Xaro commented. Jacob found the statement curious but it was a question that he could ask some other time as Xaro continued, saying, "I wanted to apologize, Doctor Lane."

Jacob was quick to correct him. While he appreciated the politeness, Jacob wasn't working right now, so having to be referred to by his formal title didn't feel right. "Please, just call me Jacob, shipmaster."

Xaro paused, but nodded respectfully. "I understand, Jacob."

"I don't believe I've erred you, shipmaster," Jacob responded. "What do you want to apologize for?"

The sangheili sighed, his head briefly hanging low. He then looked up to Jacob and said, "I believe we may have met earlier at the armory in unfortunate circumstances. I came to talk to you about it."

"Oh, that, I mean..." Jacob sheepishly scratched his head. "I kind of forgot about it already." He was lying. The memory was perfectly brought back to the forefront of his mind. It was something Jacob knew that no matter how hard he tried, he would never forget it as long as he lived. Jacob decided to take control of the conversation. "Am I in trouble?"

"No," Xaro answered. "You are not, Jacob. You're perfectly fine. If anything, I wanted to just address any questions you surely would have."

Where was he even going to start? Jacob decided to just go with the obvious pressing question that was buzzing in his head. "Why on earth were you two fucking in the armory? Were you even fucking? Did I see things right?"

Jacob couldn't clearly see it, but with the way Xaro moved his mandibles, it looked like he was giving Jacob a wry smile. "I figured this would be a situation that sooner or later would have had to be addressed. I just never imagined it would be me who would be at fault for it."

"What are you talking about?"

"You said it yourself, Jacob: 'earth'. Humans and sangheili are different; culture, thinking, physical appearance, and approach to daily life. What you may find as..." He paused, seemingly looking for the right word. "...shocking, is quite normal for us."

That was when Jacob felt like a light switch turned on in his head. He always assumed that what he saw was 'wrong'. That it was something that he shouldn't have seen, and something those sangheili shouldn't have been doing. And yet, he never stopped to think that maybe it was him who was wrong in that situation. Who was he, a human who was ignorant to sangheili practices until now, to decide what he had seen was something out of the ordinary? Jacob blinked, now realizing that all he knew about the sangheili were references given to him by ONI, and his personal experiences out in the battlefield. He knew that sangheili had a military structure, and were formidable foes in the theater of war. He knew what they looked like, what they fought for, how they spoke, how they moved, and who they now currently serve. Anything beyond that was honestly a mystery. Not out of ignorance but just because the information was never there.

Sangheili were aliens in the truest sense of the word.

"So you really were fucking then?" Jacob asked, his perspective on the matter changing completely. If anything, his questions were now fueled by the innate human desire of discovery.

"We were," Xaro answered. "I am an officer that makes sure my subordinate's needs are well taken care of."

Jacob then asked the next obvious question. "Couldn't you have done that in the privacy of your quarters?"

Xaro continued answering him as if he was talking about the sunny weather. "We could have. But Fezo needed training on his aim. His inability to focus in serious combat encounters is a detriment. I opted to train him personally myself."

So they weren't fucking. They were training. It just so happens that it involved fucking. Somehow, in the most roundabout way of reasoning, it kind of made sense. At least, Jacob was beginning to see Xaro's perspective on it. It was still weird, and quite honestly shocking, but that was Jacob's human biases coming through.

"It was my mistake in forgetting to check if I had locked the door. I would make sure that would never happen again," Xaro said. "I believe this type of behavior is uncommon to you humans."

"Yeah..." Jacob shrugged. "The way we train is a lot less...exciting."

Xaro chuckled. "But yes, I am sorry for giving you quite a scare. That was never my intention." He then cleared his throat. "I shall leave you to your devices. If you ever need anything, do not hesitate to call upon any of my officers. This is our first time having humans aboard after all."

Jacob paused for a moment. It felt weird to be treated like a special guest even though by all accounts he was a soldier just following orders. "I appreciate your concern."

The sangheili smiled before leaving the room completely. Jacob optimistically smiled to himself. If this was how sangheili were going to treat humans from here on out, they were going to be just fine.

0 = 0 = 0 = 0 = 0 = 0

Jacob found himself running across the narrow winding corridors that made up the separatist base. The base itself was located underground, underneath one of the many snowy mountains that dotted Jastalar. Upon arrival at the snowy planet, their task was simple. Outside of eliminating any separatist they may come across, their job as Task Force 117 was to go to the central control room and plant a bomb that would effectively render the separatist base useless. Gunfire and explosions rang all around them, the ground shaking as various firefights broke out. Dirt from the ceiling even fell slightly, and Jacob wondered how structurally sound these tunnels actually were. He was concerned about a possible cave in. Regardless, it would seem the intel they received that the place was an important location to the separatists was right on the money; the separatists weren't going to give it up without a fight.

Alongside Jacob were fellow squadmates, Zen Black, the one who was carrying the explosives, and Fezo Hadum, the sangheili marksman who was equally adept at close quarters combat. The rest were ordered to stay back and make sure that no one would ambush them from behind. To his surprise, Xaro was there as well with them. Jacob always figured that the higher you went up in rank, the lesser you were out on the field. At least, that was how it usually was for the human military. You'd be in the war room, worrying about the logistics and strategy, instead of being 'boots on the ground'.

Fighting alongside Xaro allowed Jacob to see the lethality of a higher ranking sangheili first hand. At one point, they needed to cross a large room that was unfortunately hunkered down by a group of separatists who were ready to shoot at them the moment they entered through the small doorway. In situations like that, the better and smarter option was to just circle back and try to find another way around.

Xaro however ordered them otherwise. He told them to follow after him after seven seconds had passed. Jacob then watched in horror as Xaro charged straight in, roaring out loudly. Zen voiced Jacob's concern for him. "He's going to get himself killed!" The man was about to rush in after their leader when he was stopped by Fezo.

"Your concern is well founded," he said, sounding surprisingly calm. "But unnecessary."

Jacob and Zen watched in utter disbelief as Xaro ran brazenly forward, heading straight towards the separatists who all had their plasma guns pointed straight at him. The moment they opened fire however, Xaro raised his left hand up and an arm shield materialized immediately. It rendered the plasma fire useless as it was deflected by the energy shield. The sangheili then used his free hand to grab hold of his energy sword and begin to efficiently take out the combatants one by one.

Xaro moved like a true born killer. Whenever he could, he would dodge plasma fire, and whenever he couldn't, he would deflect it with his shield. He jumped, ran, slid, and at one point, acrobatically jumped over a separatist sangheili who was unfortunately not fast enough to react to the deadly fighter that eventually stabbed him in the back. It was beautiful in a macabre way. It was like watching a professional do what they do best. It made Jacob grateful that Xaro was on their side. He couldn't imagine having to fight someone as dangerous as he was.

Xaro turned off his energy sword and secured it once more to his side. "It's clear. We must go!"

The group continued onwards, making their way deeper into the maze like narrow passageways that the separatists had meticulously dug throughout their entire stay here. It wasn't long however until they eventually ended up at their destination. The central control room was cavernous, having large chunks of dirt and rock excavated to make space for the various equipment and electronics the separatists were using. A few terminals here, a large monitor there; there was even a projection of a globe that was littered with various glowing red dots. Jacob assumed the separatists were monitoring their assault in here before things got too dangerous and had to bail.

Zen began to set up the explosives that they were going to use, running to each corner of the room and attaching the plastic explosives that were going to be remotely detonated. Fezo meanwhile contacted the other team, asking how things were going. Xaro moved to one of the terminals, checking to see what information they could glean from it.

"Found anything?" Jacob asked.

"I believe so," he answered. The monitor then displayed a map, dotting locations on other separatist bases. "We can cross reference this with the intelligence we have on their whereabouts," he said. "With this, we can finally put an end on this needless conflict."

"All charges are primed and ready!" Zen shouted from across the room. Fezo was standing next to him, holding the now empty bag of explosives.

Xaro was about to say something when the ground shook once more. This time, it was more serious. Everyone took refuge where they could as the ceiling collapsed in on itself. Dirt, rock, and debris fell in, briefly obscuring their vision. Jacob closed his eyes as he stood next to a pillar. He caught off guard however when Xaro pressed himself against him, in an effort to shield Jacob from the dust that rocked the room. By the time the shaking stopped and the dust settled, they got a glimpse of their current situation.

"Is everyone alright?" Xaro shouted out loud. Large chunks of rock had fallen from the ceiling, effectively separating the squad into two.

"We're okay!" Zen responded from the other side of the room. "You guys okay over there?"

"We're fine, Zen," Jacob responded, briefly coughing to try and clear his lungs.

"We'll have to split up for now. We'll meet back up at the ship. Understood?" Xaro commanded.

"Understood!"

Xaro then turned around to look at Jacob. "Stay close to me. There could be more of them."

Jacob nodded. He held his assault rifle in hand tightly. Being separated like this was a bad idea. He only hoped that Zen and Fezo would be alright on their own. While it was concerning that the base was caving in, Jacob was confident that they'd be able to find another route out of here. It would have been stupid for the separatists to not make multiple ways to get in and out of the underground base after all. It was shockingly quiet, despite the explosions and gunfire that rocked the ground they walked on. Jacob expected to come across more separatists on their way out, but it would seem the majority of them had opted to escape or take the fighting outside.

That was until they encountered someone.

Jacob and Xaro entered a large room that Jacob surmised was a storage area, judging from the large stacks of crates and containers that were piled up against the wall. There were even some fusion coils that were brightly glowing at the side. At the center of the room however stood one combatant: a sangheili separatist. It wasn't just any sangheili however. It was a sangheili wearing a gold colored separatist armor. He was standing there, menacingly, seemingly waiting for someone; waiting for them. Jacob preemptively opened fire and instead of crouching behind cover, the sangheili instead deflected Jacob's bullets with an arm shield.

"Be careful," Xaro warned. His hand was reaching for the red plasma rifle on his thigh. "He is not someone to be trifled with."

Throughout all the engagements they have had in making their way towards the central control room, not once did Xaro ever look concerned. He was serious, yes, but there was an air of confidence that carried him throughout the encounters. They weren't easy, but they weren't challenging enough to make the high ranking sangheili pause. To see him act so defensively made Jacob a bit worried. The combatant they were going to face was a higher ranked sangheili. And based on how Jacob saw Xaro fought, it was obvious to expect the same caliber of lethality.

"Cover me," Xaro ordered.

Jacob nodded, grabbing tightly at his assault rifle. His heart beat rapidly in his chest. If there was ever a moment to bring his A-game, now would be it. As if on cue, the two broke apart. Xaro went one way and Jacob the other. It was two against one and they were going to take advantage of that fact. Jacob fired down range, unleashing a hail of suppressing fire at the sangheili who easily blocked Jacob's shots with their arm shield. Xaro did the same, firing hot plasma at the combatant across the room. Jacob smirked, feeling smug. The sangheili only had one gunshield after all. He can't block forever. Unfortunately for Jacob, the enemy combatant was one step ahead. He ignited his energy sword, and in a maneuver Jacob saw for the first time, the sangheili masterfully deflected Xaro's plasma shots with his energy sword.

"I didn't know they could do that!" Jacob cried out, ducking behind cover as the stray plasma shots were redirected at him. He instinctively grabbed one of the grenades on his belt and chucked it at Xaro. "Launching frag!" The ordinance flew across the air, forcing the enemy sangheili to move from his spot. It exploded a few seconds after, launching debris and dust across the room. Jacob stood up, aimed down sights and scanned for his target. In a blink of movement however, the enemy sangheili appeared through the fading smoke and lunged. He forced Jacob to scramble. The energy sword barely missed him by an inch. Jacob ran as fast as he could, seeing Xaro from the corner of his eye lay suppressing fire with his own red plasma rifle. Jacob turned around and was about to shoot but found himself getting quite literally blown off his feet as a kinetic pulse hit him square on the chest.

Across the room, Xaro watched as the human flew across the air before smacking their back painfully against the rocky wall. Jacob felt the wind escape his lungs. Pain blurred his vision to the point where he felt like he was about to pass out. He collapsed back down the floor, crumpled up in a heap and unmoving. Xaro wanted to rush over and give aid to his subordinate, but the fight wasn't over; far from it. He turned his attention back to the gold armored sangheili, visibly reloading the kinetic pulse pistol in their hand.

He turned to look at Xaro. "Do you like it?" the enemy sangheili asked nonchalantly. "A cute little toy the jiralhanae were able to give me. It lets me have a little spring in my step." Xaro's brows narrowed. He wasn't sure if Jacob was alive or not. And the thought worried him. The last thing he wanted was for the good doctor to die. The gold armored sangheili however continued their monologue. "You know, I didn't expect you to be here, Xaro."

Instead of responding, Xaro opened fire, hoping to catch the sangheili off guard. The enemy combatant easily deflected his shots with the energy sword, sending them back at Xaro with a few flicks of his wrist. "What? No pleasantries for little ole me?" the sangheili asked mockingly. "Did working with humans involve you having to cut your tongue?"

Xaro sighed. He stood up from behind cover, his grip on his weapon never easing. "It's nice to see you too, Vuze. I see you're doing well for yourself."

"I've been better," Vuze responded. "Food's been terrible but then again the jiralhanae are terrible cooks in general. I can't blame them for that one." The sangheili then began to walk towards Xaro, ever so slowly closing the gap between them. "I expected better from you, Xaro."

"That's my line," Xaro snapped back. "You shouldn't be here Vuze. You're better than this."

"And you are better than this," Vuze retorted. "What are you doing, Xaro? Why are you working with them?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Because I actually believe them. I believe in our cause."

"You believe those lies the prophets have fed you?" Xaro shouted. "It is sad to see you like this."

Vuze snorted. "We could have been great together, Xaro. You, me, we could have really done something amazing." He shook his head. "Don't worry. I do not take joy in killing the one that I love!"

With a blast, Vuze launched forward. The sangheili had fired the kinetic pistol at a perfect angle to the ground that it sent him rocketing straight forward. His energy sword materialized and he swung at Xaro who ducked just in the nick of time. Xaro rolled across the ground, regained his composure and began to open fire at Vuze. The golden sangheili acrobatically spun across the air, landing his feet against the solid containers before blasting another shot of his kinetic pistol. His fast trajectory was enough to easily evade Xaro's plasma shots at him. Xaro then gave chase, igniting his own energy sword to try and close the gap between the two of them.

Vuze grinned. "Let's dance!"

The two then swung at one another, energy sword against energy sword clashing dangerously against each other. The smell of hot plasma filled the room, the two meticulously trying to route one another. They were an even match, two master's at their craft fighting for their life. Instincts and experience guided the two of them. Blow for blow, Xaro and Vuze met, their blades just mere inches away from each other's face.

"Not bad," Vuze said when the two broke apart for a split second. Vuze then fired his kinetic pistol at Xaro. Out of reflex, Xaro tried to block it with his sword, but the resulting blast left him wide open. The sheer impact was like being hit square on the chest by a charging jiralhanae. It broke his guard completely. His grip on his energy sword loosened and it flew across the room, landing at the far corner. Vuze went in for the kill, swatting Xaro's weapon away. With a flourish, he surgically stabbed Xaro in the chest. It was enough to end the fight decidedly. "But I'm better!"

Xaro felt his eyes bulge out. The sheer shock of being stabbed was enough to make the intense pain that came after bearable. Vuze pulled the blade out, leaving Xaro to collapse onto the floor unceremoniously. The searingly hot weapon perfectly cauterized his wound, preventing any blood from leaking outwards. No blood was spilled. Xaro realized he was going to die a dishonorable death.

Vuze turned back to face him. There was a smug smile on his face that was soon replaced with a disappointed glare. "Pathetic. You're better than this, Xaro. What changed?"

The golden sangheili's body shook, the pain and discomfort enough to make his eyes water. It was difficult to form words. His throat felt dry. It was a struggle to breathe. Xaro however forced himself to respond. What changed? It was simple really. Xaro looked back at the one memory that redefined who he was. It was the event that ultimately led him walking down a path that would end with him deciding to be the leader of Task Force 117.

Despite the overwhelming pain coursing through his body, Xaro answered: "Mercy."

Upon hearing the wounded sangheili's answer, Vuze was disgusted. "Pitiful. Not only have you become weak, but you have become a coward as well." The Xaro that Vuze knew was now long gone; just a shadow of his former self. "The Xaro I know would have faced death with bravery. You are a disgrace."

Vuze raised his energy sword, pointing it straight at Xaro.

Before he could finish him off however, Vuze dodged to the side. The hot tip of the energy sword whiffed mere inches away from him, being wielded by a very scared, but ultimately very determined Jacob. The human held the energy sword in both hands, clearly displaying his lack of skill and expertise in wielding the weapon. At the current moment however, it didn't matter. All that mattered was their survival.

Vuze's brow rose, looking mockingly at Jacob's stance. His grip, his posture, the position of his legs; the mere way Jacob carried himself with the weapon. It was all wrong. "Are you sure you know how to use that thing?"

Jacob's hands were shaking. The adrenaline was coursing all throughout his body. His ears felt like they were deafened by the sound of his fast beating heart. His back screamed at him. He was going to be in major pain tomorrow. That is, if they survived. "How hard can it be," Jacob answered, trying to not show any form of weakness. "It's just swish, swish, stab, right?" Truth be told, Jacob had no idea how to use the thing, but he was going to give it his best shot.

"Let's see what you can do," Vuze said. He then raised his free hand up and confidently beckoned Jacob over.

Jacob knew it was a bad idea, and he was probably going to die, but he'd rather die trying. The human screamed at the top of his lungs, letting out a warcry not to scare his enemy, but to push himself forward. He swung like a crazed beast, hacking and slashing the sword in an effort to try and get one hit at Vuze. The sangheili blocked, evaded, dodged, and ultimately toyed with him. It was like a master clearly schooling a rookie. It was child's play for Vuze. Every attack Jacob threw at him was telegraphed. In a display of clear arrogance and gap in skill, Vuze responded to Jacob's attacks with well timed swipes and strikes. Jacob felt his skin get burned alive as the hot blade nicked him. It wasn't enough to render him unable to fight, but it was clear that Vuze was making sure he was going to be in grueling pain before ending him.

Jacob knew he had no chance. Vuze was way out of his league. He was going to die a painful death if he didn't think of something; anything. Out of sheer desperation, he began to flail around. His swings were uncharacteristically large and unwieldy. His fingers sweat, slowly slipping across the handle of the sword. Whether it was by sheer dumb luck or pure intention, his finger slipped across the sword's activation button. The energy sword powered down as Vuze tried to block it. It left the sangheili wide open, the audacity of the tactic catching him off guard. Jacob panicked, and quickly swung back, pressing the sword's activation once more. The slip up was enough to give him the upper hand, allowing him to slice at Vuze's sword arm.

The sangheili roared in pain, jumping back to give himself some ample distance from Jacob. "You clever little sneak!" He shouted, gripping his hand out of instinct. The smell of burning skin wafted through the air. "You're going to pay for that!" It was time to get serious.

He was about to lunge forward once more when the ground itself began to shake. A loud explosion emanated from the distance. Did the bomb they planted in the control room finally explode? Whichever the reason was, the force of the explosion was enough to rock the very foundation of the ground they stood on. The ground beneath their feet cracked and the earth itself began to give way. Jacob rushed backwards, trying not to fall into the dark abyss.

"Curse you!" Vuze shouted, falling deep down the cave, slowly disappearing into the inky depths. The shaking soon stopped, allowing Jacob to rush over to Xaro to see if the sangheili was still alive.

"Xaro!" Jacob shouted. "Xaro!"

The sangheili responded with a meek grunt. He was alive, but barely. Jacob needed to get him to safety. How on earth was he going to carry him out by himself?! As if to answer his question, the sound of shouting filled his ears.

"They're over here!"

Jacob turned his head to see Zen and Fezo come into view. A look of relief washed over his face. "Guys! I need help!"

"What is it...what happened?!" Zen cried out.

"No time to explain! We need to get him into the infirmary!"

The sense of urgency was not lost on Zen and Fezo. The two immediately helped Jacob in carrying the downed sangheili.

Jacob only hoped that they would make it in time.

0 = 0 = 0 = 0 = 0 = 0

Xaro faded in and out of consciousness. At one point he felt cold. Like the warmth that emanated from his body was slowly dissipating. He could feel his two hearts slow down, his injuries seemingly at the verge of getting the best of him. Whenever he felt conscious, all he could see with his eyes open were blurry images. Blob like figures that circled him. He wasn't sure if that was his vision failing him and making him see random images or that it was in actuality people trying to save him. Could he even be saved? Xaro wasn't sure. It was becoming harder and harder to think. The desire to sleep was becoming very strong. Tried as he might, he fell into a deep sleep.

Xaro dreamt of nothing. Just a blank, black, empty space, void of anything and everything. He couldn't hear, feel, see, touch, or taste anything. It was pure nothingness. Was this what death was like? The sangheili wasn't sure. As if to answer his question however, his surroundings faded from view.

He awoke soon after.

Xaro's eyes slowly fluttered open. At first he wasn't sure at what he was staring at. It took a moment for his vision to focus and for him to realize that instead of the rocky cave ceiling he last remembered seeing, he was now staring at the familiar unremarkable and ultimately non distinct roof of his personal quarters. The sangheili was laying on the comfortable bed. The repetitive dull tone that was coming from the monitor that was set up at the side displayed his health vitals. He let out a raspy groan, his throat dry from not having drunk any water in quite some time.

"Xaro!"

The loud voice rang in his ears. He could feel his head shake. The sangheili turned his head to the direction of the person that called him. A familiar looking face came into view.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Jacob said, visibly relieved. Xaro could see the doctor looking a bit exhausted and tired. Jacob's eyes seemed like they lacked sleep. "Do you need anything?"

"I could use a drink," Xaro said.

Jacob nodded and began to get him what he asked for. The doctor walked over to the nearby desk and opened up the canister he prepared prior. He then poured Xaro a cup of water. Upon handing it back, Xaro thanked him and drank from it. It soothed his dry throat. Just then, the door to their room slid open.

"Jacob, you should...oh! Shipmaster!" It was Tev Kovamai, the sangheili doctor. "I see you're awake. This is good. How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," Xaro responded. He lied back down the bed and Jacob stood aside, letting Tev do his work. The doctor checked Xaro's vitals and did a routine procedure. Jacob even assisted in some of them. His prognosis was positive. Xaro was going to live and recover without any long lasting injury. It would seem Vuze was surgical enough to the point where he didn't hit any of Xaro's vital organs when Vuze stabbed him. Whether this was a show of mercy, or an intent to be cruel to finish him off afterwards, only Vuze knew.

"...just don't over exert yourself and you'll be fine," Tev said, ending his inspection of Xaro's wounds. He then turned to Jacob who was quietly standing at the side. "That goes for you too, Jacob. You don't have to be here."

Xaro's brow rose out of curiosity. Not that he wasn't grateful or anything, but he wondered why the human doctor was here. Tev saw the puzzled look on his face and answered the question. "Jacob's been watching over you for the duration of your recovery. Despite my assurances, he wanted to personally see to it that you were going to be alright."

"Blame it on my human bedside manner, Tev," Jacob answered jokingly. "I like to make sure my patients are well accounted for."

"I can see that." Tev then cleared his throat. "In case you need anything, feel free to call me. I have to go check on the other soldiers."

And with that, Tev left the two to their own devices. There was a moment of awkward silence between the two and Jacob wasn't sure what to do with himself. It was Xaro who eventually spoke first.

"Thank you, Jacob."

Jacob's brow rose. "For what?"

"For saving my life."

Jacob blinked. That was true. If he wasn't there, the sangheili they fought would have finished Xaro off. Jacob himself couldn't remember much of what happened. He was knocked out for the former half of the fight. It was only through sheer coincidence that he happened to awoke at just the right time. And that he happened to see the unlit energy sword right next to him. In hindsight, it was probably the worst idea he ever had, but it led to them surviving so what did it matter. Jacob waved a dismissive hand at the sangheili. "You don't have to thank me, Xaro. No one's dying on my watch." That was when Jacob realized what he was saying. "Shipmaster, I mean."

Xaro let out a light laugh. "I'll allow it, Jacob. You've earned my respect."

Jacob smiled. "So..." He walked over to the nearby chair and sat down on it. "I hope you don't mind me asking but: who was that guy?"

"Guy? Oh you mean Vuze. His name is..." Xaro stopped and proceeded to correct himself. Despite being injured at that moment in time, he was conscious enough to know what had happened after Jacob intervened. "His name was Vuze Lasam." He looked at Jacob. "He was...a friend, a companion, a comrade...and a former lover."

Jacob's brow rose, finding the choice of labels very interesting. "I'm sorry to hear that," he responded. "It must be difficult to find a former companion to be your enemy."

Xaro bowed his head, his mind lost in thoughts. "Such is conflict, Jacob." Jacob could briefly see Xaro's eyes were filled with emotions. The sangheili then turned his head and smiled at him. "I am however glad to find a former enemy to be a companion."

Jacob smiled. "I try to do my best." After a moment of silence, Jacob stood up. "I should let you rest. If you need anything, call me, alright? I'll check in on you every now and then."

Xaro looked at him. "Aren't you a human doctor? Shouldn't you be focusing on your own kind?"

"I am," Jacob said. He then placed his hands on his hips. "But while you were asleep, I've been studying up on your anatomy and whatnot. Tev was kind enough to give me some books to read up on. I'm going to need to be familiar with your body if I'm going to be working with you."

The sangheili stared at him, letting the statement hang in the air.

It was only then that Jacob realized what he said. Jacob quickly corrected himself. "Y-you know what I mean."

Xaro gave him a knowing smile. "I'll hold you to that, doctor."

0 = 0 = 0 = 0 = 0 = 0

The resulting days that followed were designated for rest and recovery. Although the mission in Jastalar was a success, the majority of the soldiers, human and sangheili alike, were wounded. A combination of having to get used to one another, as well as the formidable tactics of the separatists led to the higher rate of injuries. It was a miracle that no one died. So while the Relentless Progress jumped into the slipstream to head to their next destination, everyone took the chance to sleep, relax, and heal. Jacob, along with Tev and the other doctors aboard, attended to the patients who were wounded. Some had surface level injuries; just a few scraps, plasma burns, and bruises. Others were more serious and needed intensive care. It was tedious work but a rewarding one.

It was at this point that Jacob and Xaro got to know one another a bit better. It was a byproduct of Jacob's training in making sure to build rapport with his patients. The two chatted about anything and everything that happened to come up during Xaro's daily checkups. Xaro used this chance to get to know more about Jacob and human culture, and vice versa for Jacob to know more about sangheili culture. Sure, the two of them could have just respectively asked for information from their superiors about the intelligence gathered thus far, but it felt better to just ask in person. To Jacob's surprise, despite some differences here and there, they had a lot in common. Both in person and their species. Jacob found out that although they looked very serious and intimidating, they had music and that sangheili loved to sing and dance. At first Jacob wondered if Xaro was just messing with him but after bolting out a high tune, singing in lyrics made up of grunts, roars, and clicking of his mandibles that oddly fit together, Jacob believed him. The two developed a good friendship with one another. However, it was on one evening that this friendship became something else.

Jacob felt a bit different that day. As part of his treatment for plasma burns on his skin, he was given medication that he was informed was designed for sangheili but can also work with humans. At first he was apprehensive about taking it, but after being assured by Tev that it was safe and it hastened recovery, he downed the medication. He felt fine at first; great even. Never before did he feel alive. Not even the latest medicine humankind had ever created made him feel this way. Unless it was some kind of psychotropic drug which it wasn't.

Jacob continued his daily rounds. He checked on the human soldiers as well as the sangheili warriors. He had been conversing with the latter to the point where the sangheili actually recognized him and were friendly towards him. Jacob was even getting better at differentiating the sangheili, a trait that his human compatriots were still struggling with. He could tell them apart now. Some sangheili walked slightly differently; others had a specific way they moved their mandibles. Jacob at this point could even keenly see the minute differences on their faces the same way someone would be able to tell a different human face from another. His time hanging out with Xaro was paying off.

Speaking of which, Xaro was the last patient Jacob had to attend to.

Jacob made his way towards the shipmaster's quarters, passing by a few soldiers and even sangheili who waved at him. A part of Jacob was very glad that most, if not all, the soldiers were adapting well to their alien teammates. The mood in the mess hall changed from awkward to keeping to themselves, to just general camaraderie, behaving like one big platoon working towards a common goal. It was very nice to see after fighting each other for so long. Jacob only hoped that this would continue.

Jacob eventually arrived at Xaro's quarters, easily letting himself in as he was given the clearance to enter. The door slid open and Jacob walked in. He was about to announce his arrival when he heard the faint snore of someone sleeping. Jacob turned his head to the direction of the bed and saw Xaro sleeping peacefully. Despite showing himself to be an intimidating and dangerous person, Xaro slept like he was a child: harmless and tranquil. He rested his head on the cushions, his eyes closed and looking quite comfortable underneath the bed sheets. Jacob quietly went over to the terminal to check the sangheili's vitals. They were all good and high. By tomorrow, Xaro was going to finally be back at the helm of the ship. Throughout this entire time, it was Fezo who temporarily replaced him. That was when something caught Jacob's attention. Xaro's pulse was rising. Jacob felt a bit of panic at wondering what was going on. A fast heartbeat was usually a bad sign. He was about to rush outside and call Tev when Xaro tossed and turned in bed, resulting in the blanket covering him sliding off.

Jacob stood in place, frozen, his eyes transfixed at what he was seeing.

Xaro, to Jacob's confusion, was naked as the day he was born. This wasn't the first time Jacob had seen the guy naked. That happened when he walked in on Xaro and Fezo at the armory. However, unlike before, Jacob this time got an unrestricted view of what the sangheili had to offer. Truth be told, this was the first time Jacob got to see the sangheili body in its natural state. And his previous findings still held true. Despite being alien in some ways, they still looked 'human' in others. Their skin was leathery, resembling that of a reptile that could be normally found on Earth. Jacob could see Xaro's chest rhythmically go up and down, informing the man that the sangheili was breathing. That was when his eyes were drawn lower, stopping at Xaro's crotch.

Jacob couldn't help but let out a light gasp upon seeing the throbbing piece of flesh.

He didn't know what to expect really. Jacob admittedly imagined Xaro's penis would look...well, alien. He envisioned it as something prehensile, maybe tentacle-like even. The kind of which he often would see in those old fashioned science fiction porn movies he watched every now and then. Unfortunately for him, Xaro's cock was relatively normal. The only thing that really made it stand out was how obscenely large it was. Which, in hindsight, made sense. Cock size was usually proportional to how large a person was, so it wasn't out of the realm of possibility for them to have something so big.

In spite of the scientification explanation his mind told him, Jacob was still flabbergasted. Xaro had a monster swinging between his legs. How on earth did he keep that inside his armor? The doctor felt a light bead of sweat come down the side of his face. It was at this point that Jacob would normally turn away. It was indecent to ogle someone asleep, let alone that someone being his commanding officer. It was rude and quite frankly an invasion of privacy.

And yet he didn't stop.

Whether it was of his own volition, or something else entirely, Jacob felt compelled to go nearer. His mind screamed at him, telling him that this was a terrible idea, and yet the complaints died soon after, replaced with nothing but a quiet hum. Jacob felt the blood rush to his cheeks. His eyes were transfixed on the impressive length in front of him. His professional side told him to stop, but his personal side told him otherwise; to keep going and satiate his more carnal desires. That was the thing about being a soldier on a ship. There wasn't much to do when you had personal matters that needed attention. Sure, Jacob could have found someone to help relax and destress. But the work of being a doctor left him too busy to really mingle with his fellow soldiers.

Was it odd that he was being turned on by something alien?

Perhaps.

At the current moment, Jacob didn't care. Besides, getting closer couldn't hurt, right?

Jacob eventually stood closer to the bed, his head lowered, his vision focused solely on the pulsing piece of flesh in front of him. How big exactly was it? Jacob wasn't even sure. The entire thing was as long as the sangheili's thigh, and half as thick. It was a big schlong and Jacob wondered how exactly it would even fit inside someone. And to think, Fezo was taking this up the ass! It recontextualized everything for Jacob. How would you even be able to focus, let alone think straight with this ramming you? Sangheili anatomy wasn't THAT outrageously different from humans; you wouldn't be able to sit straight afterwards!

Just then, Xaro groaned lightly in his sleep, a bead of what Jacob assumed was pre formed at the tip of the sangheili's penis. It was thick, slick, and gooey, dripping down the sides of his length and leaving a trail that glistened underneath the synthetic lights. Jacob's hand reached outwards to gently rub a finger on it. Before he could even think of what he was doing, he then opened his mouth to get a taste of it. Jacob was surprised to find that it tasted sweet; it electrified his taste buds. As he gulped it down, he felt his throat burn slightly. It wasn't painful or anything. Just enough to warm his entire body. But what came after caught him off guard. An overwhelming desire to breed washed over him. He felt his body burn and his loins stir. All the blood seemingly rushed towards his crotch and Jacob felt his cock press painfully against his pants.

His eyes tunnel visioned at the thick piece of length in front of him. His mind told him to get more of the fluid. Jacob felt like a man thirsty for water. He did, however, have enough self control to take this nice and easy. Jacob's shaking hands reached outwards. His hands lightly brushed up against Xaro's cock. Upon seeing that the sangheili didn't react, he then continued.

It looked big.

It felt bigger.

Jacob's fingers were nowhere near close enough to touch tips. The leathery sensation on his palm was something else as well. It wasn't rough or anything. It just felt different. Jacob's other hand began to squeeze the sangheili's balls. Much like the schlong it was associated with, Xaro's balls were just as equally impressive. They looked like oversized oranges. They were hefty and had obvious weight to them. They were clearly filled to the brim. It only now made sense why Jacob was given a large cup to ejaculate into as part of his medical diagnosis. He always assumed the cup was just something they had lying around. Now he realized it was a necessity given how big the balls on these aliens were.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Jacob froze. He looked like a thief caught red handed. He felt the cold sweat drip down the back of his neck. He turned his head and sure enough, he saw Xaro looking at him seriously. To his surprise however, the sangheili wasn't angry. If anything, he looked visibly calm and even enjoying himself. He was leaning back on the pillows on the bed lethargically. Jacob wasn't sure what to do with his hands. He tried to speak but words failed him.

Sensing the man's apprehension, Xaro spoke softly. "Relax," he said. "Keep going."

Jacob blinked. "A-are you sure?"

"I am," Xaro answered. "Your hands are very soft."

With the permission now given, Jacob continued to work the sangheili's length. If you had asked Jacob that he would end up jerking off his commanding officer this morning, he would have called you crazy. But life had tendencies like that. Always doing the unexpected. Jacob focused on his task, briefly glancing at Xaro to see if what he was doing was to his liking. The sangheili was more than audible enough to give him an idea that he was on the right track. A bead of pre formed at the tip of the sangheili's member. Spurned on by the heat of the moment, Jacob leaned down and stuck his tongue out. Xaro was taken aback at what Jacob was doing, but happily welcomed it. The way the human flicked his tongue was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Xaro had to control himself, lest he would jerk his hips into Jacob's waiting mouth. But the human was making it immensely difficult for him. Jacob was like a man possessed. He was voracious. He practically covered the entirety of Xaro's length with his tongue, making it glisten underneath the synthetic lights. Both of them were breathing heavily, clearly lost at what they were currently doing.

Xaro grunted, gripping the bed sheets tightly. There was something with the way Jacob worked his length that drove him insane. Was it the human's delicate tongue? Was it his soft touch? Was it the way Jacob's hot breath wafted on his throbbing cock each time the human worked his way downwards. Xaro couldn't put quite a finger on it, but he was damn well enjoying himself. And based on how Jacob looked, he was too. Xaro was admittedly surprised. He didn't expect Jacob to be so forward. But Xaro wasn't one to turn down sexual advances. If anything, he desperately needed it. Being bedridden like this left his entire body aching for release. Jacob saved him the trouble of having to ask him for it.

The tell tale signs of climax were soon fast approaching. Xaro could feel his balls ache and slowly rise up. His own cock throbbed painfully. He was admittedly surprised at himself. He could go for hours and yet he was reduced to blowing his load so early. Jacob's fingers had a magic touch to them. Either that, or Xaro was just caught up in all the excitement. Regardless, Xaro was unable to warn Jacob of his impending end. He unceremoniously blew his load soon after. White hot seed ejaculated from the tip of his monstrous cock, spurting up high into the air. It caught Jacob off guard, making him reel back out of surprise. The gooey cum flew up into the air before falling back down, landing on Xaro's bare chest. Jacob watched as the sangheili seemingly ejaculated endlessly. Spurt after spurt, it seemed that there was no end to it. Some of it even landed on the floor next to him. Xaro's contractions were strong and Jacob could only imagine what it would feel like to have that exploding inside him.

The human was surprised at his own line of thinking. Exploding inside him? His own lust couldn't possibly be seriously insinuating something so ludicrous. Yet the notion was tantalizing. By the end of it, the room was smelling distinctly of sangheili cum and Jacob reached outwards to get a taste of it. He rubbed a smidge of it on his fingers and put it into his mouth. Much like the pre before it, it tasted sweet yet salty. Something akin to a sour fruit yet at the same time as sweet as chocolate. It was a barrage of flavors that had no business being together and yet they seemingly came right at the very end to make something so delectable. Jacob found himself wanting more of it. But he had enough self control to stop himself. This was far too much. Jacob felt like he had crossed a line that he wasn't sure he should have crossed in the first place. He glanced at Xaro who was regaining his composure after the explosive ejaculation.

"That was...thank you," Xaro said, breaking the ice. "I really needed that."

Jacob blinked. "Y-you're welcome," he answered, confused but deciding to go along with it. He had so many questions, more so for himself. The reality of the situation came crashing down on him and he felt like he just did something he would have never done sober. The problem was: he was sober. Xaro could see the gears turning inside Jacob's head. He had an inkling as to what the human was thinking and wanted to reassure him. Unfortunately for Xaro, he was unable to as at that particular moment the door slid open.

"Xaro, I..."

At the doorway was none other than Fezo Hadum. The sangheili looked at the scene in front of him. Xaro was covered in cum and the human doctor standing next to the bed reeked of Xaro's scent. What exactly did he walk into?"

"...Am I interrupting something?"

The whole scene felt ironic in a way.

Jacob didn't know then, but that was the start of him having very interesting interspecies relations with the sangheili.