Pirate mothership Devoted Envoy over Metsker Steel Works

Outskirts of Misrata, Flint

August 12, 2558

Ryan Weld stood on the Devoted Envoy's bridge watching the smaller traffic below moving in wild patterns like flies. The low hanging clouds produced a bed of needlelike structures as the ever tall skyscrapers poked through the white fluff.

The Devoted Envoy was much different in appearance than her secondary constructed vessels that preyed on the merchants of uncharted space. She was previously an SDV class corvette serving in the fleet of Particular Justice. Nex Fel had been assigned to lead the skirmishers onboard to human ground engagements. Leading the charge, he and his valiant warriors had devastated human defenses in New Alexandria. Upon decoration of commending by the sangheili shipmaster, they executed their plan, one that they had begun conspiring since the first engagements on Reach.

Now the Devoted Envoy was the command ship of the entire empire that was run by Nex and his children, Jor placed in command of his ship.

The door to the bridge slid open and a well built skirmisher walked onto the deck, settling into the command chair. Jor Fel wasn't as impressive as his father Nex, but his scary look starting with his scarlet eyes and ending to his feathers that had been sharpened with silver shaded aluminum sharpened into knives that clung to the tips.

"Mr. Weld." That was the pilot assigned for his personal transport. "I have our shuttle ready. Say the word and I will file our flight plan."

It had been years ago since the human and the skirmisher had met and worked together on their black market operations.

During the early days of the Fel Empire, Nex Fel led his group of skirmisher outcasts in a mutiny strike under the cover of night, when even the sangheili in charge were least aware. They had secured the engine room and disconnected the controls from the bridge, killing all of the unggoy that had been there. When the ship's sangheili arrived since there was no Covenant engineer onboard, Fel jumped atop the surprised larger Covenant soldier, jabbing his energy cutlass into his throat. The elite had growled and failed his arms, fruitlessly trying to buck off the smaller alien while being held down by Fel's men. Two more elites followed suit as they came to check on what had happened to their brother. By now, Nex had the codes to the armory which he and some of the more higher up skirmishers had helped themselves to carbines, rifles and needlers. Storming the bridge took little effort, the crew was entirely slaughtered and the shipmaster and his two lekgolo bodyguards sucked out of the emergency hatch.

With himself now in control, he set course for the second human world. Having been born to a long line of pirates, it was no doubt that he and his brother Sav Fel would resort to terrorism to restore their lineage's glory and the legends of skirmisher space faring ways. Nex's future gains when he operated on the remote areas of Flint became one of the most heated black market areas that somehow was kept underneath the Covenant's attention, which was busy swatting at the UNSC on Earth.

Jor was snapped out of his thoughts when a minor skirmisher approached him. "Sir, he's waiting for you."

Dismissing him, Fel walked down to his personal quarters. Aside from the ship's steady humming it was rather tidy. Unlike his brothers and sisters who left their belongings askew, cleanliness was among his top priorities. The freshness made others not suspect what his nature was.

The left side, which displayed some of his prized hoards, the most valued being a jiralhanae chieftain ceremonial shoulder armor could be seen from the other side of the channel. His massive black glassy screen warmed to life and turned into a blur of blue colors, some light and others darker until they sharpened into the shape of someone looking back at him.

"Jul 'Mdama." Jor wasn't a member of the Storm Covenant, but still lowered his head and bowed in reverence. To anyone who opposed humanity or the UNSC, 'Mdama was practically a living god. No other Covenant member had been bestowed with such riches from one of the most powerful gods in their religion. Not that it was bad or anything, but now that they had declared their lies from the prophets, seeing a living god created mixed feelings for many of his followers. He was quickly recognizable by the white handprints on his armor and the holographic symbol that seemed to not be part of his helmet.

'Mdama was flanked by one of his top commanders, Gek. Often seen in charge of a high profile base, Gek's combat prowess against humanity during and after the Great War was monstrous. His right eye had been replaced by a milky cybernetic and a nasty scar ran across his face splitting the leathery skin.

The sangheili leader whispered something to him, who quickly left.

"Jor Fel. How is your father?"

Sangheili culture prohibited most younglings from knowing their true fathers; the same couldn't be said for kig-yar.

"Nex is doing fine, he's overseeing one of our operations." Jor's knowledge of the sangheili language was rusty, having learned it in segments during his time in school. "He told me to ask you of a favor."

"What could you need from me?" 'Mdama huffed. Jor felt like he was being asked to do a favor, which greatly bothered him.

"A while back, we had a couple pirate ships destroyed. Someone pretty much stormed one, killed our crew and then blew it up. They then retreated to their own ship and fired upon the second one, destroying it too."

"So then why didn't you ask for reinforcements?" Jul spoke so fast that Jor had to go through what he just heard a couple of times before managing to piece a reply.

"There was no time. The commander of the vessel was killed by none other than Spartans." He held a smile when he saw the sangheili's muscles involuntarily tense from anger. "I think the UNSC may be on to our operation and I want to see if you can provide us with some intel."

'Mdama waved his hand and Gek was beside him in an instant. "Gek, has anyone reported on Spartans attacking kig-yar ships?"

"All of the Spartans have reported in no such actions Shipmaster."

Jul waved Gek away again, turning back to face the skirmisher. "Neat. How did you know that?"

"We've acquired a secret listening outpost and are able to freely listen on everything that Infinity is doing. Mission briefing, crew interactions, traffic control." He proudly shoved his chest forward, "I can just reroute our phantoms to reinforce and we can see them coming before they even know that they have the advantage."

"Don't expect that advantage to last." Jor replied, "Anyway, since there is no assistance on intel, I would like to ask if you would be joining us as allies against the main human organization."

"You truly believe that the Infinity and her allies are what are trying to take you down?! Infinity has been over Requiem giving me much more pressure to deal with than your petty little pirate ring!"

"Well we've changed."

"I'm sure you have, but I well remember what you did to the original leader of the ship that you now command."

Sangheili and kig-yar did not get along, well most of them anyway. Although not as much hatred between the kig-yar and the lowly unggoy. 'Mdama was very patriotic of his homeworld and was under others that believed that sangheili were the most superior species to ever rule the galaxy and they should be the ones to uphold the gods' principles.

"Well we have cooperation for labor. I'm pleased to tell you that we have many human slaves under the belief that they've found refuge. Their efforts have boosted our cause significantly and maybe they can also be of service to you." When 'Mdama tilted his head to the side in interest, Jor smiled. "Think about this; an entire city of humans ready to work for you, building ships, weapons and even bases. All yours to command."

Jul snarled, "I don't seek the enslavement of humanity. Although that would be fitting since they're still filth, I seek their extermination. Besides, with a shadowy group trailing you, I wish I had never been involved. I lost my most prized weapon that could have destroyed the Infinity and I can't afford to risk anything else."

"We desperately need you help!" Jor pleaded, "If we don't stop whoever's onto us, then we're doomed!"

"Nonnegotiable. Send my regards to Nex for me." The Didact's Hand cut the connection, chuckling on how he just spelled Fel empire's death warrant.

Ryan Weld stepped off the shuttle as it touched down far from the bustling urban areas of Flint. Immediately relaxing because of the cool breeze, he suddenly began to chill as he made his way over to the outpost that sat beside the landing pad. The nearest town was a dozen miles away and several highways had run through the territory of where he set up his base. To help deter suspicion, he had his men put detour signs along with cameras along the borders. Anyone who managed to ignore the sign would be intercepted by a patrol and turned away. So far nobody was reported to the authorities, but Weld could see possible investigations coming.

"Welcome back Weld." Nex Fel sat in a chair hunched over, accenting his muscular frame. Considered to be buff in the skirmisher society, he was just as tall as the former Insurrectionist, like his eldest son, metal slivers clung to his slicked back feathers and his teeth were razor sharp, no doubt having sliced through the flesh of his enemies.

"So how's our shipments going?"

"We'll have another one en route to Sigma Octanus by tonight and from what the Revered Peace's shipmaster entails is that she'll be back with another shipment of workers. We're already up twelve percent of our plans."

"Good."

The skirmisher's teeth flashed in a wicked smile. "Did you meet up with our certifier and client?"

"I spoke to them the other day while I went to Metsker, they'll be at Octanus to collect it."

Nex Fel raised his chalice filled with the amber liquid. He wasn't much of a drinker especially when it came to human liquor, "Here's to greed and stupidity. Combine that with the right minds and it can make you a rich man."

Ryan Weld smiled, he could have a drink to that.

What's going to happen to Vasili, where's he at? What about Aegis and his assassin?

Thanks for reading everyone, you all give my writing purpose.