Remnants

by General Rage

From Halo's ashes, a mismatched Alliance is born. UNSC soldiers now serve alongside both Batarian deserters and shifty Jackal Space Pirates. Now Shepard and Master Chief have to keep these strange bedfellows from killing one another before they can stop an emergent new threat to the galaxy. The Next Swashbuckling Chapter of the Wormhole Chronicles.

54. The Horizon Beckons

Chapter 48: The Horizon Beckons

Now and Then we had a Hope that if we Lived and were Good,

God would Permit us to be Pirates

- Mark Twain

"So, you're a prince?"

Retz looked at Zek with a scowl as they walked through the Queen's Fortune on their way back to the throne chamber. He had been expecting some smarmy remarks from Zek at sone point, he just would've preferred them to be accurate.

"I'm not a prince, that's not how it works," He directly corrected Zek. "There's no formal monarchical system in the Syndicate. It would go against the entire point. I just happen to be related to the queen of one of the head clans. I have no formal claim to the throne by right of birth."

"But you do carry some authority with it," Zek observed. "That's not nothing."

"It is more of an honorific sense of authority, it gives you more leeway than most," Retz explained. "And only daughters can ultimately take the throne. Sons just get better opportunities for advancement."

"Again though, all this time you had some actual pull here," Zek observed. "You were the head queen's kid! You must've had the run of the place."

Retz shook his head at that.

"I had better opportunities but also greater expectations," He informed his friend. "As a son of Zoth Gorb, I was expected to rise to a considerable rank among the other agents. Maybe even become a Shipmaster, take over a ship, turn over its resources to the Syndicate, something like that. But I was never content with the demands mother made for me, so I was never a favored son. And eventually, I was just the disappointment."

Zek could only shrug.

"Sucks," he acknowledged, but looked to his first mate with a incredulous expression. "Why'd you never say anything about it?"

"You never really asked too many questions about it for one," Retz replied succinctly. "More to the point, I didn't want it to complicate things. I would've hated for our partnership to be marred by your attempts to find a means to use my station for profit."

"So you thought I'd care more about how your status than our friendship?" Zek asked, feeling a bit hurt. "That I'd use you to climb up the underworld ladder or something?"

"Somewhat accurate," Retz said reassuringly. "I was concerned your attempts to find a means to profit off of my connection to Zoth Gorb would probably end up getting you killed. The Syndicate does not abide by those who attempt to game the system they've rigged in their favor."

Zek expression quickly changed, as he rubbed at his neck feverishly and sifted through his beak.

"Oh, okay," he relented "So, probably a good thing you didn't tell me."

"Moreover, on a personal note," Retz promptly continued. "I appreciated for once not having to concern myself with people knowing who I was and trying to use that to their own ends. I liked that you treated me... normal. That I had a real companion for once. I just didn't want to lose that. I didn't want things to change."

Zek placed his hand on Retz's shoulder and patted it chiefly.

"I get it," he confessed. "Totally understandable. I don't think I'd have trusted the old me either. But I hope you realize that nothing has changed now. You're still my first mate and you being a pirate prince doesn't affect our partnership in the slightest."

Retz seemed to unwind at that, releasing a ball of tangled up tension within his chest.

"That is good to hear, sir." He said.

"And I hope you realize that means you're not getting any special pay raises as a result of this either," Zek commented. "I mean, we don't do special treatments on my ship, your royal highness."

Retz laughed at the jest.

"Very well, sir," he answered back jovially. "Truthfully I never wanted such treatment to begin with. However, I hope you realize negotiating a contract with my mother and her compatriots is going to be considerably harder."

Zek brushed the warning off.

"Hey, that's why you're coming along for this, remember?" He pestered lightly. "Those connections have to be good for something right? Huh?"

Retz took the ribbing at his side in stride, but never lost his serious scowl.

"Given my relationship with my mother, I doubt I'll be of much help," he warned. "I do hope you have come better prepared for this second round of negotiations."

"It's me, Retz," Zek joked. "You know I always got something to play for these sorts of things."

They entered the throne room for the queens once more. This time it was bare of any other Syndicate members, save for four. The three Syndicate Queens themselves sat upon their thrones as the two male pirates approached. Zix stood at the side of Zoth Gorb, still looking as sour as ever over things.

Zek kept his head held high and his stride confident. He held the Astral Cutlass at his hip, inactive, as he approached. He could've chosen to come in with it ignited of course, to start making demands, force the issue, that sort of thing. It was the easy way after all.

But the easy way wasn't for Zek anymore. He had higher ideals now than that.

"Hail the conquering heroes I suppose," Zoth Gorb snarled in annoyance as the two approached. "I suppose congratulations are in order. Your little rescue stunt has certainly yielded us an impressive haul. Our scavenging teams are already extracting a great deal from the debris of the Covenant Armada, and the infamy of the Syndicate itself is more secure than ever as a result of our partaking in your plan."

Zek stood at attention confidently.

"No need to thank me all at once," he said with a smug grin. "Just doing what any good pirate would do and all that."

"I have no intention of thanking you," Zoth snorted back. "I don't like having my hand forced over things. Especially via Retz throwing around the weight of his blood to get things he wants when he previously spat on his legacy beforehand."
"As always, I can never do anything right for you," Retz sighed. "Even when I help save the Syndicate in the process and provide you a golden opportunity."

"Golden opportunity?" Zoth chortled. "To do what? Get ourselves killed fighting a losing war for the humans? Don't even think about it. Your nuke gambit plus the station itself exploding appears to have covered our tracks. The Covenant does not seem to be aware of the depths our involvement. We have our out, that's what matters. We're not about to throw it away on your say so now."

Zek pulled out the Astral Cutlass and ignited it. He allowed the crackling light to cascade through the chamber for a few seconds, the queens looking on in flabbergasted awe.

"Oh! A Rainbow inside the throne room!" Zox Jek said in amazement. "Isn't it lovely, dears?"

"If you intend to intimidate us with a display of power-" Zoth Gorb began to warn.

"No intimidation," Zek clarified before sticking the sword deep into the floor and letting it rest there. "Merely a reminder that I possess the Astral Cutlass. I could force you to do whatever I want. Like Snarlbeak tried to. But as a show of good faith, that's not what I'm going to do."

"Oh?" Zoth obsered. "So then, what is your intent here?"

"I'm going to convince you of my proposed contract square," Zek stated plainly. "I'm here to convince you that fighting for the UNSC is not only the right thing to do, it's the most business-minded and shrewdly practical means of greater profit acquisition for the whole Syndicate."

Zoth just laughed a single very loud laugh at the remark.

"HA! How droll," she said. "The drunkard is playing middleman for the humans. Alright then, I need a good laugh or two after today. Might as well hear them from you."

"And afterwards we can skin them if we don't like what we hear, right?" Zor Bix questioned.

"No, Zor," Zoth sighed greatly. "We can't just skin everyone who we don't like. Not even Retz despite my previous statements to the contrary. We've been over this. The whole process is exceptionally messy and it takes forever to clean up after its done. The kitchen has its hands full enough already without them needing to wax the blood out of every countertop."

As Zor Bix lurched back on her throne and pouted, Zek spoke up again.

"Queens of the Syndicate, at least hear me out before you judge my position here," Zek requested. "I've earned some benefit of the doubt after everything, haven't I?"

Zoth Gorb growled a little, but then waved for Zek to continued. Which the pirate leader readily did. While the Cutlass doubtlessly would've helped in this situation, Zek believed he didn't need it. In the short time he had known them, he had very quickly picked up on who the queens were and he know how to work with their sort of pirate.

After all, at one point or another he hadn't been too different from all of them.

"To start with, the Syndicate needs this," Zek argued. "It needs to take a stand, now more than ever. The Covenant is a threat to more than just humanity, but all of us. Hiding in the shadows isn't going to save you, not anymore. Not with what they're planning."

"I assume you're referring to Halo? I thought that was destroyed," Zoth Gorb noted. "And I don't see how their crazy religion has anything to do with us or our organization."

"Well it does on a larger scale, but that probably doesn't interest you," Zek acknowledged. "In the short term though, if the UNSC falls to the Covenant, you're going to be dealing with them more than you'd care to."

"We've survived for a long period of time against the Covenant without the humans being a distraction," Zoth claimed. "We can manage just fine without them being a stop gap."

"Oh sure, but you lose out an entire market of grateful customers and the ground floor of a cred-wellspring," Zek noted casually, slightly turning about. "I guess you're right, not worth your time at all. Who cares about making money in a pirate playground? Not the organization built upon the whole concept of preserving piracy, that's for sure."

Zoth looked to Zor and Zox, who both seemed equally confused. And for once, in Zox's case, was not because she had been distracted by something else.

"What are you on about?" Zoth demanded to know. "Cut the sarcasm and speak plain."

"The Covenant have always been the stopgap to the Syndicate's growth," Zek explained as straightforward as possible. "They're the reason piracy has been struggling, even with your help. What happens if they're suddenly gone? Think of the chaos that will be left in the wake of their broken empire! That is a golden opportunity and the chance to make it happen is staring you right in the face."

"It's a pipe dream," Zor spat in annoyance. "You honestly think the humans stand a better chance than most other species of beating the Covenant? They're holding on by a thread! Joining the war on their side is a losing prospect!"

"It's a risk," Zek corrected. "But one worth taking, as the rewards are greater than not doing so. The UNSC is desperate for help, for the services the Syndicate can provide. And if you help them win, not only will the Covenant fall to pieces, but they will be grateful enough to let your pick at the leftovers for decades to come! But only if you work with them. Refuse, and when the time comes, they'll see you as just another enemy instead of an ally they owe a great deal to."

"Assuming they can even win," Zoth Gorb said, snorting in derision. "The odds against the humans are incalculable at this point. They are all but doomed from any outsider's perspective. Why join them at this stage? Do YOU even believe they have a chance?"

Zek gave his next words some thought here. Not because he was unsure, but because it was a lot to think over. He did not want to express his support for the humans lightly, especially given how much he had previously rejected this very thing that he was now asking for.

"It's not really a question of if they have a chance, it's about what we can't afford to allow," Zek stated firmly. "If the Covenant succeed, there will be nothing left to squabble over. Nothing left to profit from. I've seen where their Great Journey leads, I've been inside it. Your spies likely have expressed something similar. If the Covenant win this war, that's all she wrote for Piracy. For the kig-yar. For everything."

Zoth looked unconvinced, but Zox looked intrigued.

"What do you mean by that, little fledgling?" She asked. "The so-called Great Journey is just a fanciful promise. Another Con by those who have bought their own Grift."

"It is, but it also isn't," Zek exclaimed. "Halo wasn't just a sinlge ring. There are more out there. And each of them is, in fact, a weapon. One designed to destroy all life in the galaxy. If the Covenant manage to activate one, we're all fucked."

"Not much profit in a galaxy devoid of life," Retz observed.

Zox looked a little concerned, but Zoth and Zor were more dismissive by a wide margin.

"We don't run our business based on prophecies of doom," Zoth declared.

"It's not a prophecy, we can actually send you evidence of what Halo actually does," Zek informed her.

"Doesn't matter," Zoth replied bluntly. "You're still asking us to get involved in a war on the side that is losing based on promises of wealth and prosperity in the long term, compounded with the threat of utter annihilation. We need substantially more than that if we're going to be convinced to give up centuries of security and profits for what sounds like a very quick way to lose both."

"Wars aren't profitable," Zor reiterated for everyone. "Although they are fun to fight in, they eat up resources. That's why organizations like ours stay out of them. The credits come from supplying the war, not fighting in them."

"One of the oldest models of business," Zox concurred. "Sell Swords and Guns, Take Up Them You Shun. Profiteering is the very nature of piracy. You don't make a stand."

"That was your father's mistake, Zek," Zoth concluded with dire weight behind her words. "And even he never suggested siding with the humans."

Zek exhaled loudly. He hadn't expected this to be easy, but it was rather tiresome. Mainly because it was all the excuses he had made previously being thrown back at him. It wasn't easy for him to consistently hear his past self so frequently in the words of the Queens. It reminded him of how shortsighted and selfish he was.

It didn't deter him though.

"I understand the reluctance, I felt the same way," he admitted. "About what my father did and the UNSC's plight. It didn't matter to me then, because what did any of that matter? I wanted my credits, I wanted my ichor, I wanted my freedom, that was enough. At least I thought it was. Until I realized how short I was setting my horizons. And how it was hurting me and my crew and people around me."

Zek looked over to Retz, who merely nodded and urged him to continue.

"But piracy is bigger than that, bigger than profit or even yourselves," he continued more passionately. "I see that now. We were set to seize the stars, to make our own way through the void on an incredible adventure. And it was snatched from us at the last second by the Covenant. This sword is proof of that."

He pointed to the Astral Cutlass directly, forcing the Queens to take a look at its shimmering crackling blade as it lay stuck in the floor.

"What we could've been was stolen from us," Zek pointed out. "You've tried your best to preserve it, but it's always going to be a pale imitation of what it once was. So long as the Covenant is around, we'll always just be a bunch of lowly thieves to them. Take a stand, fight for a free endless black, and we'll finally be what we should've been all along. A free enterprise, set for fortune and glory beyond anything you can dream of now."

Zox Jek looked enamored at the idea, her head raised high. Visions seemed to dance in front of her eyes, which were brighter than they ever had been before. Even the other two queens took notice.

"A free endless black," she said wistfully. "A true pirate paradise. A new golden age! Oh, it sounds... wondrous!"

"It's unrealistic, dear," Zoth told her sadly, before turning back to Zek with a glare. "Don't start putting false hopes in Zox's head, Zek. The poor old bird can rarely distinguish where she is half the damn time. Even if the Covenant fell tomorrow, this UNSC would simply fill the void. We'd exchange one authority for another. How is that a free endless black?"

"Humanity's reach is considerably less than that of most other species," Retz noted. "They'd have a lot less direct authority than the Covenant currently possesses."

"For a while," Zor snorted. "What's to stop their own power from growing and eclipsing the Covenant's empire?"

"I can't be certain of that never happening," Zek confessed. "But isn't it a good idea to contract with a potential rising power against another that shall always be hostile to you? If the UNSC sees you as an ally, they could stand to become a lucrative trade partner. A provider of profitable contracts, work for hire, all sorts of rackets blocked off to you now because of the Covenant."

Even Zoth gave that some thought, her eyes contemplative as Zek kept pushing.

"Look at it this way, the Covenant are endangering the lives of an entire race of potential customers," he insisted. "Humans have enormous trading and marketing opportunities. Not to mention, possible safe harbors within their space in a post-Covenant galaxy. But only if you get on the ground floor now, when they need the allies most. Grateful customers are the easiest sort of people to profit off of."

"And what exactly would we gain from such a partnership that we couldn't through regular means?" Zoth questioned.

"They're a highly isolated and fearful people," Zek exuberantly observed. "Even with the Covenant gone, the trauma of being nearly exterminated by aliens is going to remain. They'll look to any bulwark they can use to help maintain their security. And if you prove to them how reliable you are, they could see the Syndicate as that bulwark. Negotiate things properly, they might give you exclusive weapons contracts to help take down potential threats for them. Or provide additional security. Maybe even give you some of their defunct ships to help out."

Zor suddenly sat more upright and looked to Zek directly.

"You mean the ships of theirs with those really big guns?" She asked excitedly.

"Maybe, but only if you start proving your worth to them now," Zek argued. "Otherwise, they might decide you're a threat too and refuse to do so. Prove you are trustworthy now, offer aid in their most desperate hour, they will be yours forever. Revered as heroes of humanity, legends to aspire to. The aliens who helped mankind fight back against those who sought their destruction!"

Now Zor joined Zox in wide-eyed speculation.

"Think of all the things we could kill with those human ships!" Zor said excitedly. "And so many new guns to slaughter foes with!"

"Legendary as heroes for an entire species," Zox mused aloud. "The chance for our infamy to spread! It's every pirate's dream!"

Zoth grimaced, her ire apparent in her expression. But Zek wasn't done yet. Before she could interject and ruin the momentum, the young pirate leader of the Fallen Serpent was quick to pounce on what mattered to her.

"They're also really big on alcohol," Zek noted. "Not to mention they have exclusive ownership of a very particular plant that I know for a fact kig-yar just can't get enough of."

Zoth's gaze narrowed on Zek.

"What are you getting at?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"I've been among humans, I know how they work," Zek said proudly. "They're a people that is obsessed with getting smashed almost as much we are. Hook them on ichor and they'll be all over it. Might take a while, it is an acquired taste and all, but if you could refine to their tastes, you'd have a golden credit mine."

"And this plant you speak of?" Zoth asked.

"Sugarcane, your spies have likely picked up on the spread of it through some underground channels?" Zek questioned.

"A minor but rising narcotic, yes," Zoth acknowledged. "I'm assuming sugar's source is tied to you somehow, then?"

"It is," Zek acknowledged. "And I'm willing to cut you in on the action there if you go in on this alliance with the humans with me."

Zoth looked skeptical, but her defenses were lowered enough for her to at least take the next tentative step.

"If we agreed to ally ourselves with the humans, what would that entail?" She questioned, tapping her finger tips together expectantly.

"You'd most likely be hitting Covenant ports, running weapons and supplies, sharing intelligence from your spy network, generally you'd be doing what you have always done," Zek said, laying it out rather simply. "Just all of it would target the Covenant and be in service to the UNSC. I imagine they would have additional tasks or requests, defending colonies, boosting security, maybe sabotage and assassinations. But again, it would mostly just be what you are doing now, but you'd be working for them."

Zoth let out a grim sounding grunt as she leaned back, looking to her fellow queens as she did. Zek kept his beak shut and his excitement tapped down. He did not want to give away his hand when things seemed to be going in his favor at last.

Zoth finally looked back to him, her expression all the more serious.

"And what do you get out of this, Zek?" She asked somewhat accusingly. "What exactly is your payment for brokering this? You have the Astral Cutlass, you have control of Snarlbeak's business holdings now. What does getting us to side with the humans garner you?"

Zek merely shrugged.

"I'm going to be negotiating my own contract with the UNSC after this, I'm here to merely open relations between you and them as an intermediary," Zek explained. "I benefit from those by helping the initial negotiations between you two."

"That doesn't entirely answer my question," Zoth kept pressing. "What do you gain from this? In the short time you've been here, you've made very little demands on this body for your own benefit. You possess the Astral Cutlass, we are all waiting for you to get to the point and just declare yourself Pirate King."

Zek looked at all three queens with an inquisitive turn of his beak.

"Is... that what you're all waiting for then?" He asked tepidly.

"It's kind of the Black Chorka in the room," Zor confessed. "What exactly is your position in all of this? As in, the Alliance between Syndicate and UNSC if it comes to pass?"

"Especially with the Astral Cutlass held in your possession," Zox added.

Zek probably should've suspected this would become a roadblock. His attempt to not use it had also been about trying to avoid the subject. Evidently though, they needed to hear about his intentions before going forward. With a heavy sigh, he began to explain his position.

"I did not set out to be the Pirate King when I went after the Astral Cutlass," he told them all, pointing towards the sword as he did. "I just saw it as a way to climb up the underworld ladder to a comfortable position in life. That's not what I want it for now. I want to treat it as the symbol it's meant to represent. The truth of our species and the promise it offered us, that of the stars and adventure."

"How very noble and poetic, but as we've established previously that is not a chief concern of ours," Zoth commented in a dry fashion. "We want to hear it from you, what are your intentions as a broker of this alliance?"

Zek supposed he should get to the point. It was the only way they were going to keep listening.

"I am, for all intents and purposes, Pirate King," he relented. "But how that term is defined should be discussed rather than imposed. I don't want to force my will on anyone, let alone the Syndicate. That's not how piracy should work, that's something even you forgot. And I am hoping this alliance will start to reverse that mindset through a fair and negotiated contract."

Zoth looked a bit surprised, but kept on task.

"So how do you see the position of Pirate King then?" She asked. "Given that you obviously don't subscribe to how Snarlbeak saw it."

"I don't want to order you around or impose my will on your fleet," Zek explained. "I want us to help each other, to do what this organization claims it cares about. In that regard, I feel my position as Pirate King should be one that serves that cause. To be your voice within the UNSC as part of this alliance."

At that Zoth couldn't help but just laugh.

"You?! The voice of the Syndicate!" She chortled. "You wish to be our advocate to the UNSC? What give you, of ALL pirates, that sort of privilege?"

"He does hold the Astral Cutlass," Zox noted.

"And he killed Snarlbeak," Zor added.

Zoth's mirth vanished.

"Oh please you two," she groused. "Can you be a little less easily swayed?"

"I have a relationship with the UNSC," Zek continued. "It isn't perfect, but it's better than any other pirate you'll ever find. And through me, I can better represent your wishes as well as give you a layer of removal from them. You keep independent of the UNSC, to a degree, while I am contracted directly under them. More to the point, you would remain in charge of the Syndicate and the position of Pirate King is that of a partner. Someone who holds weight in this court, but is a servant of it as much as you are."

"So you'd be an ambassador," Zor reasoned. "Subject as much to our needs as the UNSC's."

"An incredible degree of responsibility," Zox added. "You would be willing to take that on? And NOT enforce your will through the title?"

Zek raised his shoulders somewhat.

"Well, I'd like to have some say in things," Zek argued. "Preferably through discussion, debate, maybe some healthy discourse with the rest of the Syndicate leadership. Obviously some things around here will have to change, adjust, but I think we can all agree that is inevitable."

"How so?" Zoth demanded to know.

"Do you want to prevent another Snarlbeak from ever taking advantage of your system to garner the power he held?" Zek asked. "If you want the Syndicate to grow in a post-Covenant era, if you want this alliance with the humans to work, you are going to have to start taking some advice from someone outside your bubble. Someone who doesn't care about power, but about what piracy means overall."

"And what does piracy mean to you?" Zox questioned directly.

Zek was more than prepared for that answer.

"Freedom," he said without a second thought. "It means charting our own courses, finding our own adventures, doing what we feel is best for ourselves. And it's also about making sure others can experience that same freedom, even at the cost of power and profit. Being a pirate might make one selfish, it comes with the territory, but it doesn't mean we can't be selfless. That's what the new Golden Age should stand for, above else, the freedom for a pirate to make their own way."

Zox turned to Zoth at the end of those remarks, as did Zor. For her part, the head queen took in Zek's impassioned plea and statement into great consideration. Eventually, her features softened and she turned to Zix who had been silent this whole time.

"You said he had no greater convictions," she told her. "What the changed?"

"I can only assume... well, he has gotten... perspective," Zix reasoned.

Zoth let out a grunt as she turned to Zek once more.

"I'm not a fan of idealists, Zek," she admitted. "But... I admit, stagnation is at fault for what happened here to some extent. And, despite my misgivings, you have shown yourself to be more of a true pirate than most can claim. I'm not sure if you are truly cut out for this... position of Pirate King, but it's obvious you are willing enough to make the attempt. I have doubts about this pirate paradise you promise, I would be a fool if I didn't. However, I could not call myself the head queen of the Syndicate if I turned away a lucrative deal opportunity."

Zoth Gorb rose to her feet and slammed her scepter down.

"Zek, son of Dread Feather, I hereby appoint you Pirate King, in service to the Syndicate as our voice within the UNSC," she declared. "In purpose and action towards the facilitation of contracts between our two parties. For the stated goal of financial opportunity and maximum profit! You will retain control of your assets and monetary independence, but in the capacity that you will be called upon to serve our interests within human space."

Zek was about to jump for joy, his deal making having paid off. He even cocked his arm into a fist, but was quickly halted in his track. For as his celebratory stance took off, Zoth raised a single claw-like finger.

"On ONE condition," she declared.

Zek stopped and looked up to Zoth Gorb with a bit of reluctant anticipation.

"Uh, yes Queen Zoth Gorb?" He asked, sounding apprehensive.

Zoth let loose a curt smile and pointed to the Astral Cutlass.

"The Astral Cutlass is the loose end in all of this," she exclaimed. "You claim to not value power over freedom. Well in that case, sacrifices must be made. You must make assurances, to this body and the organization of the Syndicate at large... that the Astral Cutlass will never again be used for the furtherance of your own station, position and power."

Zek looked to the Cutlass, still embedded in the floor, and then back to the Queens themselves.

"That's the condition? I can't use the Astral Cutlass as Pirate King?" He asked.

"Given what the sword apparently does to one's mind, it's more of a favor to you than us," Zoth claimed. "In general, we want to be certain that sword will never be used to threaten us ever again."

Zek considered the term and honestly understood the underlying point. The Syndicate were fearful of the sword, with good reason. The Astral Cutlass nearly destroyed everything they had built in the wrong hands. They weren't about to trust it to him. Not when he was already being granted substantial power and position within their organization without becoming a formal member of it.

If he valued freedom, as he claimed, the test before him was obvious. Surrender a portion of his power to prove he spoke the truth in his words.

"Do I have to do it right now? Or is there a specific method of granting that assurance?" Zek asked.

"Just do it," Zoth glowered. "One way or another, I never want to see that damn sword again."

Zek nodded, accepting the terms.

"Alright, just give me some time," he told them. "I still have other matters to sort out."

Zoth relented the point and went to sit back down.

"Sort them then," she said with a grave tone in her voice. "And be quick about it. We have much to prepare. A new dawn for piracy begins today. I would like to hope that it is indeed a golden dawn and not portending our doom. Either way, it would impugn you not to disappoint us, Pirate King Zek."

Zek gulped a little, but bowed all the same. He certainly had a lot on his plate now, that was for sure. Still, this meeting was nothing compared to what he was going to have to do next. He still had to hash things out with the humans after all.

He was not looking forward to that, or the process by which he'd have to make it work. And it would have to work, otherwise this whole deal he just brokered would go up in smoke before the ink even touched the page.

---

In the belly of the Gettysburg, cloaked in the darkened administrative meeting room, Zek sat across from Colonel Holland and Admiral Whitcomb. Lieutenant Haverson was a little off to the side of them. It was a foreboding picture, given how the light shone up around them in the dim, dark room.

He wasn't alone, thankfully. On either side of him were at least two friendly faces. Varvok was to his right, looking at him respectfully. Commander Shepard was to his left, his expression stoic, but more reserved. The UNSC officers were a lot more intimidating, and with good reason he presumed. Zek had almost ruined everything for them.

He knew if this was going to work, he'd have to be a lot less of the pirate they all knew. Lucky for him, he was a lot less of the pirate they once knew. The question was though, if he could be humble enough to get what was needed here.

"Let me start off by... apologizing," he began. "I know that isn't really enough, but it's as good a start as any for this. What I did was selfish, shortsighted, foolish. I don't expect you to suddenly forgive or trust me again. Not without some serious compensation, and I am ready to do all that if it will get me the contract we both deserve."

"That assumes we even want one now," Whitcomb noted. "Are you certain that is even on the table here?"

"I don't think we would be even sitting here if you weren't at least willing to hear me out," Zek claimed. "I want to reach a favorable agreement here. I want to help you fight the Covenant, to stop them. All I need is some assurances for the crew, not myself, I don't matter as much as they do."

Whitcomb and Holland looked to Shepard now, who merely shrugged lightly.

"I really do think he is being honest about this," he assured. "We should at least hear him out, he's already brought the Syndicate to the table. That's more of a gesture of good faith then I thought he was ever going to offer before."

The UNSC Officers looked to each other for a moment and then nodded.

"Alright Zek, we're listening," Whitcomb relented. "But you better make this good."

Zek began by laying what had happened with the Syndicate, that he was now Pirate King and that made him their voice within UNSC space. Dependent of course on them hashing out a contract. Through him, they'd be able to direct Syndicate resources and receive the benefits of their operations. He would therefore help negotiate contracts between the two parties, concerning missions and intelligence that the Syndicate could provide.

For him personally though, he was trying to work out his own contract with the UNSC. Not just to maintain his independence, but that of his crew. However, given recent events and the level of trust that had been abused, Zek was prepared for certain concessions.

He then laid out his initial terms.

"Here is the gist of things," he began earnestly. "I want to set up an official privateer contract with the UNSC. Exclusive to you and you alone. I am prepared to place the Fallen Serpent at your disposal. We will assist in UNSC operations against the Covenant. Primarily the defense of humanity and its colonies. We are willing to aid in whatever capacity our ship is deemed fit to operate in. Evacuations, insertion, covert operations, sabotage, smuggling, whatever you require we are willing to assist within reason."

"What does 'within reason' mean?" Holland questioned pointedly.

"Well we are a heavy Corvette," Zek explained. "A pretty powerful one, but we are still a Corvette. I think it's fair to not ask us to perform the same duties as a battlecruiser or carrier for one."

Holland just shrugged.

"It would be fair, I wouldn't want to use a corvette for something a cruiser is more capable of handling," Holland confessed. "But exactly what capacity is the threshold of your Corvette's operational ability?"

"That depends on a few factors," Zek admitted. "But my men are fairly capable in a variety of roles, as I'm sure you are aware by this point."

"We are, but that doesn't really answer the question," Haverson informed him.

Zek shifted in his seat, trying his best to formulate the words.

"I would like some discretion on how and where my men are deployed," Zek explained. "I would prefer to retain operational command of my people. No sending us on suicide missions or the like without my say so. If an order comes through, I want to be assured I will have support in carrying it out. My men are not cannon fodder, that is my single most important condition here."

Whitcomb nodded.

"Are there others?" The Admiral asked suspiciously.

"Generally I would like for an appropriate commission, one that compensates my people to a certain degree," Zek explained. "Given my position, I am willing to take a substantial cut to my own payroll from you, so long as the money goes to my crew. Additionally, I want some degree of independence. I want to be able to operate effectively. I am not against oversight, I understand you need it, but I want to be empowered to act with a degree of autonomy. If it helps, I'll submit to regular briefings from the UNSC command, send in reports, whatever to make you happy and assure you I am still operating in your best interest."

"That's still a big ask," Holland told him. "That is usually something a freelance agent would obtain. Even for a privateering contract, we need assurances that you are acting within UNSC rules of conduct. Especially for you."

Zek nodded along with the Colonel's words. He figured that was a big ask, so he had to offer as big a concession... and then some.

"I now have possession of all of Snarlbeak's operational assets," he reminded them. "I am willing to transfer over sixty percent of their earnings and resources in your favor for the duration of our contract's effective status. That means, ships, weapons, technology, I am prepared to give you access to all of it. I'd give more, but I still need to pay those other crews on those other ships. I can offer you discretion to use them as you see fit as additional support for the Fallen Serpent, so long as they remain under my command, but I have to be able to pay them or this all falls apart."

He was already taking a considerable hit financially in one area to begin with. Zek had instructed the Trozekn's Scourge to return to the former location of the Plunder Nest and release Snarlbeak's private reserve into its waters. The Chorka would be free to live their own lives as promised and the planet itself would be set up as a reserve of sorts. One where, for a fee of course, any pirate could come to milk the Chorka in the wild.

Utilizing Snarlbeak's former operations still on the planet, his people would still harvest from the Chorka there as well to sell under their own brand. But now that it was a more open sea and no longer privitized, they would not be making as much creds on selling their ichor. Even with the new revenue stream of letting people harvest their own ichor from the planet's Chorka population.

But Zek was fine with that. He had kept his promise to the Chorka who had helped him. They would be free again and allowed to roam the oceans of their new world without fear of being exploited or abused. The symbiotic relationship between kig-yar and their kind at last restored.

That did little for the establishment of a contract between him and the UNSC now, but his willingness to sacrifice profits in favor of what was right did. For their part, the humans seemed more open as a result of said sacrifice then they would've been otherwise. They still had concerns though.

"That sounds nice, but we still need assurances of your compliance with UNSC operations," Whitcomb expressed. "We need to know you are going to be subject to the chain of command and that you will not run out on us."

"Alright, assign a liaison, a commanding overseer, someone you trust that will make me play ball," Zek told them. "I'd like it to be someone all of us can trust, I think that would smooth things over. Tell me what you need to make this work and I will work with you. All I want is for my crew and my new fleet to be taken care of. That is what matters."

Whitcomb clasped his hands together and took a long hard look at Zek. The pirate was currently tensing, preparing for the worst. The Admiral shook his head a little, not in a dismissive manner but a contemplative one.

"I will be honest, Zek, I did not think we would see you again," he confessed. "I fully believed you were long gone and that Commander Shepard would turn up empty-handed. And while I am grateful that wasn't the case, that you did return and you did save the mission and helped it achieve a level of success we could not have predicted... you betraying us is still a sticking point. One that is hard for me to move past even accepting the ultimate outcome that was favorable to us."

Zek just nodded.

"I am fully willing to accept some form of punitive action here," Zek confessed. "I wronged you, I wronged all of you, and I am not looking to escape the consequences of that."

Whitcomb nodded and looked to Holland.

"I think we can work with this proposal, assuming we take some additional precautions," The Colonel suggested. "First and foremost, I think it would be best if we settled one major standing issue. The Ascendant Justice specifically."

Zek looked at the Colonel confused.

"What about it?" He asked.

"You have long maintained your desire to take ownership of the carrier," Haverson reminded him. "We feel, perhaps, one major concession on your part would be relinquishing it to the custody of the UNSC."

Zek gave it some thought, but ultimately relented on the point.

"I have my fleet now and I suppose the carrier is redundant," he stated. "Fine, the Ascendant Justice is now your property. But I still-"

"No one actually wants the Crusty Chorka, you can keep that," Haverson assured him.

"Well I would like the Crusty Chorka actually," Varvok suddenly spoke up. "My people need their own ship after all and it would help supplement our own operations that we will be undertaking for the UNSC."

Zek was a little surprised by the forwardness, and watched as Whitcomb turned to him.

"Does that sound agreeable?" He asked.

"Varvok is practically part of the crew already," Zek replied. "He is more than welcome to the Crusty Chorka and to use it in whatever capacity he deems fit."

Varvok just grinned at him, appreciating Zek assisting him in enabling his own efforts to help the greater cause. That being the end of the Covenant and their cruel empire. Of course, Haverson had more to say in regards to that.

"We would ask that you provide us additional intelligence," he stated. "Mostly concerning the Covenant leadership and assistance in targeting them specifically."

"Done, fuck those guys," Zek declared readily. "Whatever you need to kill them, you got it. More than happy to help."

Haverson let out a surprised sound beneath his breath. He had honestly thought Zek would demand payment of some kind for such information. In light of feeling like he was getting it too cheaply, he made his concession.

"I think it would be right to compensate you for that assistance of course," the Lieutenant said. "Just to make sure the intelligence and support is adequate and useful."

"Whatever makes you feel secure, Haverson," Zek said, only laughing a little. "What else?"

"To facilitate cooperation, we will need more than a single comissioned officer acting as overseer for your operations on the Fallen Serpent," Holland expressed. "A small security platoon of ODSTs will be assigned to you. About...twenty, thirty at most to keep an eye on you and assist in objectives for missions entrusted to your crew."

"Your ship will have to undergo some UNSC standard refits in order to facilitate them properly," Whitcomb added. "And you will be responsible for them and accommodating to them."

Zek nodded at that.

"Do I... have a choice in who these ODSTs are?" Zek asked tepidly.

"That would be left up to the ODST Captain in charge," Whitcomb stated. "However, given your previous interactions, I am willing to propose the assignment be handed to Captain McKay. Is that agreeable?"

Zek shrugged a little and nodded pleasantly enough. Regardless of anything else, he did like McKay. She was always straight with him, never unfair. He could do worse than her.

"Ok, she'll be fine," Zek agreed.

"She won't be your overseer though," Holland stated. "That will be assigned to someone else. But before we discuss that, I would like to ask one last thing. After the war and your contract is fulfilled, what happens?"

"I ask for nothing on that front save for the Fallen Serpent to fly free," Zek explained, a resolute and steadfast tone in his voice and on his face. "That for services rendered, my ship and my crew will be able to chart their own course. That will not be bound to the UNSC, but we shall have its protection."

Whitcomb eyed him peculiarly.

"That's it? No greater cash bonus? No island with your name on it?" He asked.

"I simply want to earn the right to fly my men in the ever black, as free and clear as every pirate should be," Zek stated. "With nothing more than the gratitude of your government for having earned that level of trust."

"A not inconsiderable ask," Holland stated. "You are really going to have to earn that."

"I am more than prepared to make the effort, sir," Zek promised.

"We will need someone we truly trust to play as your advocate then," Whitcomb noted. "Someone you will consider as a fair and impartial overseer to evaluate how well you serve the UNSC while under contract."

Zek nodded in agreement.

"If I may, I have a suggestion for who could take on that role," he offered.

He needn't have bothered though. Everyone's eyes went to his obvious choice before Zek even spoke. Commander Shepard was after all in the room.

"I would be more than honored to undertake the task of Zek's primary advocate," the Commander expressed. "Someone needs to keep an eye on him after all."

Whitcomb nodded and turned to Zek.

"Are you satisfied then with your advocate?" He asked.

"More than satisfied," Zek replied. "I wasn't as grateful as I should've been, having the Commander in my corner. This time it's going to be different, I promise that."

"I would hope so, Zek," Whitcomb told him. "Since we will be facilitating the refits for your ship in order to properly accommodate its mission capacity, I would hope you'll be far more aggreeable to our needs for what is to come."

Zek concurred with a nod and then quickly spoke up.

"I believe I can actually assist in those refits," Zek assured. "Snarlbeak had more than a few ships in dry dock that he was forced to mothball. I can order my new fleet to start sending them over. You can take them apart, add on the additional components to the Fallen Serpent directly. I mean, it's a highly customized ship already. With some extra components, maybe we could boost up its class a little in the process. Make it more useful to you on bigger missions. Or whatever. The cost would come out of my own coffers. Snarlbeak has enough cash put away to make this happen easily."

The assorted UNSC officers were more than a little surprised by how cooperative Zek was being here. As well as willing to pay for his own refits. There was the suspicion of course Zek did not want to owe the UNSC too much so soon in the contract. But honestly, when a pirate offers to take a financial hit to make his ship more combat capable, rather than accept a potential freebie, albeit with caveats, well... you sort of accepted it. Who would argue against that?

"You really want to be prepared that badly, huh?" Whitcomb asked.

"Mostly I just want to have some say in how my ship gets upgraded," Zek said honestly. "But yes, I am more than aware what I am signing up for. Becoming a privateer for the UNSC is a dangerous prospect for me and my men. I want them to be ready for whatever comes their way. But more than that, I need this. I need to prove to them I am the captain they deserve. To prove to you that I am in this fight to win it. Because I know now, more than ever, that all the freedom in the universe isn't worth much at all if you don't try to fight for it."

Whitcomb just nodded in appreciation.

"Well, I hope you are ready for that fight, Zek," the Admiral told him. "It is coming, we are going to be in the thick of it. And we are going to ask a great deal of you over the course of that fight until it is won."

Zek just eyed the Admiral directly.

"I don't run from fights, Admiral," he declared. "Not anymore."

He held out his hand towards the UNSC Naval Officer and fixed a glare at him.

"Do we have an accord then?" Zek asked,

Whitcomb eyed the hand and then tentatively took it, shaking it firmly.

"We do, welcome back to the war, Pirate King Zek," The Admiral stated. "May fortune favor us all."

"Admiral, you have pirates working for you now," Zek replied jovially. "Fortune is half our business. It favors us by default."

"I hope that statement indeed rings true, Zek," Whitcomb commented. "I suppose we have to sign some things. Although there is one other matter we probably should discuss before we finalize this."

Zek looked at him curiously, but he suspected already what it was.

"If this is about the Astral Cutlass, I'm already handling that," he assured.

"Really?" Whitcomb asked. "How so?"

Zek looked a bit a nervously about as he chuckled.

"Well, I'm not happy about it, but let's just say I've come around to your way of thinking on it," he explained. "Trust me when I say, you won't have to worry about it much longer."

Whitcomb and the whole room looked at him suspiciously.

"What are you talking about?" Holland asked.

"It's difficult to explain in full right now," he stated. "But I have come up with a solution that should ease a few minds about certain things. I did not come to it lightly, but I think everyone will sleep easier once I'm done with what I have to do."

"Which is?" Shepard pressed.

Zek sighed, he supposed he had to tell them. They deserved to know as much as anyone. He wasn't sure how they would take it given everything that had gone down. But he reasoned they would approve. He just knew he was never going to live down the reaction. Still, if anything was going to make them trust him again, it was probably knowing he was about to give up the greatest prize any pirate had ever known.

---

Zek stood at the power core, already dreading what he was about to do. It gnawed at him that, after all of this, everything he had done, he was making this decision of all things. But, it was the only path forward. Not just because the Syndicate wanted it done, or because the UNSC was no doubt wary of the power imbalance at play, but because HE needed to do it. He had decided on doing it a while ago.

It still hurt though. He still hated how he was forcing himself to do it. It was a hard thing for any pirate to do. But it was also the right thing, as much as it pained him to admit that too.

Pirates didn't give up treasure after all. Let alone something like the Astral Cutlass.

As he took up the sword and prepared his next step, he heard someone enter. He knew already who it was before he even turned around. It could only be her, after all. This was what had essentially brought them back together, whether she had wanted it or not. She was already halfway to him by the time he turned, although Taq still got the first word in.

"You're really doing it, aren't you?" She asked, sounding rather perturbed. "You're actually going to get rid of it. The find of the millennia, and you're tossing it out with the garbage."

"It isn't really my choice," Zek explained. "The Syndicate wants the Astral Cutlass gone and the UNSC is more than little concerned about ME having it."

"They said that to you?" Taq questioned. "Specifically that they don't want you to have it."

"Well Zoth Gorb made it very clear, Whitcomb and Holland only sorta alluded to it," Zek clarified. "Honestly, I didn't really have a good argument against it. I was mostly hoping they'd let me put it on a wall someplace. But, well, that's hardly much better a fate for it, is it?"

Taq looked at him incredulously.

"Can you take this a little more seriously?" She asked him.

"I'm taking it deadly seriously for once, Taq," Zek assured her while holding up the Cutlass. "More seriously than I did when we first found it. You were right back in the temple. This thing is dangerous. More dangerous we realized even then. I struggled just using it to fight Zhoc because I felt it stripping away my mind the more I used it. The only thing that saved me was resisting the urge to go all in with it. Which Snarlbeak did without even a second thought. And he proved you right again, he went fucking nuts near instantly."

"But we could still just put it in the ship and leave it there," Taq suggested. "The effects are negated somewhat when its powers are siphoned through a vessel."

"Only slightly," Zek warned. "Even when I was tapping into the sword through the ship, I could still hear the alien thoughts feeding me information. It was less pronounced, but the effects on the mind are still there. It was how I came up with that nuke through the Rupture plan to begin with."

Taq looked downcast at that revelation.

"So... there is no totally safe way to use the sword then," she said, her voice forlorn and saddened.

Zek nodded, but he had to explain further. There was far more to this than just what the Cutlass did to its user's mind. He saw that clearly now, more than ever before.

"It isn't safe, period." He stated bluntly. "The Syndicate might fear how it could disrupt their power base, and the UNSC is wary of me holding on to it. But those two positions are just masking the true problem that I've realized. The Astral Cutlass is just too powerful a weapon for anyone to use responsibly."

Taq snorted a little at that.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely and all that?" She questioned. "It's a human saying I've heard being thrown around a lot lately. Specifically in reference to the Cutlass."

Zek shook his head.

"I think power more often reveals than it corrupts," he explained. "Remember the story on the rock computer? The Raider was already corrupted beyond belief by its hatred long before the Cutlass messed with its mind. The excess power just revealed how deeply corrupt he was. Made it impossible to hide it from the ancient kig-yar he conned into travelling with him. It brought to the surface everything ugly inside the Raider."

"And you're worried it will do the same to you?" Taq asked.

"I think it could do the same to anyone," Zek stated. "Even just the promise of what it can do is enough to bring out the worst in someone. Right now, everyone is scared of it. What happens when someone within the Syndicate tries to make a move for it in an attempt to seize power for themselves? Maybe a daughter of Zoth or Zor or Zox who are getting too impatient waiting for mommy to die. Or what if those Cerberus fucks who have infiltrated ONI get wind of it? Or the Covenant? Power hungry people are always going to be after this thing and eventually its gonna catch up to me, just like it did with the Raider. The Forerunners were right to split it apart, it's too dangerous based on those facts alone."

"But it could still be useful," Taq tried to argue. "Look what you accomplished with it! You brought the Syndicate to the UNSC's table. You helped destroy the Covenant Invasion Armada! The Astral Cutlass is a symbol of the inheritance of the stars for our people! It can still be that!"

Zek nodded at her in agreement with her words, if not their intent.

"It will always be a symbol, nothing I do will ever change that," he dutifully explained in an uncharacteristically, for Zek, thoughtful tone. "But I can't let what it is be used against what it stands for. This Cutlass chained us as much as it freed us. It forced our people into servitude beneath a tyrannical sore loser. And I won't be the one to do the same eons later. That's not how I want to rule as Pirate King. That's not how a Pirate should rule ever. Having this sword, even if I could keep it and use it safely, all it would do is make people fear me. That's what Snarlbeak wanted... not me."

He looked at the crackling blade as he held it, before feeling Taq's hand on his shoulder.

"So what kind of Pirate King do you wish to be then?" She asked, genuinely curious of his motivations for once.

"Freedom matters more to me than power," Zek stated firmly. "Kig-yar pirates should stand for that above all else. Freedom both personal and universal. I can achieve that aim far better without the Astral Cutlass as a stick to bully people with. I want to be respected for the pirate I am. The only way I can be... is if I put my creds where my beak is and show everyone I'm not the person I used to be."

Taq sighed greatly at this, seemingly recognizing the truth of Zek's words.

"Well I can agree on that at least," she confessed. "You don't sound at all like the Zek I knew once."

"Well, I hope I'm a better version of that Zek at least," Zek lightly joked.

Taq shook her head.

"I can't say for sure, too soon," she confessed. "But it's different from... what I'd have expected."

She gave him a small smile, more than he ever expected from her before. Zek, without prompting, handed the Cutlass towards Taq. The archaeologist was stunned by the gesture, but only for a moment, before she took the blade in hand, wrapping her fingers around the hilt and bringing it close.

Her eyes grew wide as she gripped the blade, her body shaking as she drank the sight in. The history of the weapon washed over her in an instant, her knees quaking at she beheld it. Taq began to choke up and cry a little as lightly swished the blade about.

"It's... beautiful," she declared softly. "No matter what else it is, that's how I feel about it. A piece of living history... all our own. It's everything I ever wanted. Everything I dreamt of."

"You'll still have all that information and data you pulled out of that temple," Zek tried to reassure her. "And... you'll always know, everyone will know, it was you who found it."

"WE found it, Zek," Taq corrected him. "You deserve credit for that. I never would've even gotten to hold it like this without you. I... I want to thank you for that much at least."

She hesitantly handed the Cutlass back to Zek.

"It's just... hard to let go," she explained anxiously.

"Yeah, I know," Zek agreed. "Believe me, I do. This has to be done though, for the good of piracy and the kig-yar. But... all the same... I think I know a way to keep it close."

Taq looked at him confused at this. Before she could press him for answers though, Zek pooled power into the sword itself. As the blade grew, he then plunged it into the power core's fuel rod injection slot. He then released the Cutlass from his grip as it began to pour its own crackling energy directly into the Fallen Serpent's reactor.

Zek and Taq watched as multicolored lights flowed across the power conduits, up through the machinery around them and into the further bowels of the ship. Every sound resonated loud, every console went haywire, the reactor's plasma chamber became a literal rainbow of light. Then, at its apex, Zek pulled the Cutlass from the fuel rod injection system and things evened out.

The plasma chamber remained a glistening resonating cascade of differently colored light. Zek and Taq looked at it in awe, its mesmerizing display only partially distracting them from the Astral Cutlass itself. The crackling blade had shrunk significantly. Now, no bigger than a short sword. It was slowly returning to full length, but only just.

"What did you do?" Taq asked in astonishment.

"It has infinite power," Zek reminded her. "It's never gonna run out. But that power was contained in other receptacles before. I figured, why not just transfer a portion of it to the Fallen Serpent? Just enough to really even the odds in future fights."

"How much did you transfer?" Taq asked curiously.

"As much as it could handle without the Cutlass as a catalyst keeping it in check," Zek reasoned. "About... twenty percent of what the Astral Cutlass is capable of when plugged into a ship."

"That's still a lot," Taq reasoned. "Especially given you just noted the sword's power is essentially infinite."

"I'm not great with math, I leave that to other people," Zek explained. "Speaking of, let's get ourselves a more exact figure."

Zek contacted engineering directly over his comms to accomplish just that.

"Kaz, Zek here," he began. "What's our power readout?"

"I was just about to contact you about just that, sir," Kaz answered, sounding dumbstruck as he spoke. "We have a major increase of base system functionality all across the board. Weapons, shields, engines, it's all topped off! Predictive analytic functions are running at top capacity, slipspace drive has some weird readings! It's like when the Astral Cutlass was plugged in, but... well not as crazy, but still pretty nuts. I estimate about a thirty-five percent increase from base functionality across all systems! We're stable, but I am going to have to fine tune the system to keep it that way!"

Zek just whistled a little.

"Ok, I may have overdone it by a tad then," he confessed to Taq.

"Well at least that much of you hasn't completely changed," Taq said with a slight laugh.

Zek returned the gesture with his own little laugh, but it was colored with a degree of impending loss. The time had come. He could hold this off no longer. Anymore and he might not have to strength to do what needed to be done.

Zek took up the Cutlass again, its crackling blade almost returned to half its size. With a great exhale, he began to focus through it again. In moments, as the blade turned blue, a rupture in space opened before Zek and Taq. With one swift motion, Zek flung the Cutlass into the open rip in subspace.

As the blade fell into the tear, there was a shudder along the rupture's length. Electricity arched between the edges of the rip before finally giving way. Within seconds, the slipspace rupture closed with a terrible thunderclap, as Zek and Taq stumbled backwards somewhat. Mere moments later, there was no sign of the slipspace rupture or the Astral Cutlass that had vanished into it.

"You trapped it in subspace," Taq reasoned aloud as her eyes adjusted.

"Yep," Zek confirmed. "And without someone at the wheel to focus its energy, it will remain like that. Lost in time, in slipspace and beyond the reach of anyone who could abuse its power."

Taq reluctantly accepted the explanation, staring at the spot she had last seen the Cutlass longingly.

"I understand the why, but it still hurts to know that's its ultimate fate," she expressed. "Do you really think it can still inspire as a symbol if its forever out of reach?"

"It being out of reach got us plenty far already," Zek argued. "The legend lives on, that's what matters. That will keep pirates heading out into the black to seek the promise of the Astral Cutlass long after we're all gone."

"Maybe," Taq relented. "I suppose that's out of our hands right now. But still... the fact I got to hold it, to experience it..." she shivered lightly at the memory. "That will stick with me forever."

She turned to Zek, delivering another smile.

"Thank you, for letting me be a part of our history," she told him, a genuinely look of gratitude across her face.

Zek just nodded in reply and returned the smile.

"We still got plenty of history of our own to make," He reminded her. "We have a new Golden Age of Piracy to create after all. We just have to help the humans defeat an unstoppable galactic spanning empire of religious zealots before they kill us all. No pressure."

Taq rolled her eyes.

"Great, way to remind me of the mess we are still in," she sighed, before getting back on topic. "So you are really going through with this then? Helping the humans to fight the Covenant."

"If it means freeing the kig-yar and every other race out there from their bullshit cultic worship of killer ringworlds, sure," Zek answered plainly. "Not exactly what I planned but, well, I have added responsibilities now. I am Pirate King after all."

"You're going to remind everyone of that every chance you get, aren't you?" Taq asked as the two began to walk out of the reactor core together.

"Eh, I'm not one for royal titles," Zek claimed. "It's more of a glorified diplomatic position right now than anything substantial. I'll try to keep people from making it too big a deal."

Taq let out a derisive laugh.

"Yeah, sure you will," she said. "And Boz will suddenly stop playing rock music in favor of some other genre."

"I swear, Taq!" Zek insisted with a jovial smile. "I am not gonna get an ego over this. I intend to remain humble and unassuming over this whole thing. I guarantee it!"

---

"For he is the Pirate King! Hurrah For Our Pirate King! And it is, it is a glorious thing! To be the Pirate King!"

Shepard watched as the gaggle of Jackal Pirates lifted Zek high and threw him above their heads, before catching him as he fell back down and repeating the process. All while the lot of them drank their ichor, spilling over themselves and each other. Gardner was not going to be happy having to clean the mess hall deck after tonight, that was for sure. Shepard himself was already somewhat regretting that Mordin had taught the Jackals that song.

They just didn't stop singing it... among others, but mostly this one.

Normandy had been chosen as an impromptu celebration zone for the time being. The Fallen Serpent was still being looked at given its massive power and systems upgrade. And while things had settled down between the UNSC and the Jackals as a result of them coming to the rescue, it was felt it would be best for the two groups to retain a little distance. At least until things could settle back into some sense of normalcy.

Still, there were more than a few Marines here themselves and on their own accord, taking part in the festivities. So maybe they were already on the path to healing the wounds the schism had caused. Shepard was just happy to see that his ship was serving the purpose of being a bridge between the two groups and then some. It gave him an immense sense of personal pride.

Despite everything that had gone so completely wrong over the past few days, they had pulled it off. This Alliance had somehow survived the crucible set against it and emerged seemingly stronger. Greater than he had ever anticipated. As Zek dropped down from the latest rousing musical number, sliding across the floor to stop in front of the Commander, the Pirate took a swig from his ichor mug and adjusted his tricorn razorfin hat. Shepard just couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Milking this title a little bit, aren't we?" Shepard asked him.

"What? I'm just going along with the flow of the crew here," Zek laughed. "I only merely suggested the song, They did the whole lifting and throwing thing. Completely unprompted, I swear."

Shepard shook his head, even if he was a fully committed ally now, he knew there would be no living with Zek like this. The Jackal was never going to let anyone forget he was Pirate King. To be fair, who would with that sort of title?

"Well at least you're enjoying yourselves," he commented to the Jackal. "But just you know, we already locked up our sugar, so don't bother looking for it. I think we can only handle your crew being drunk, not drunk and high."

Zek chortled as he took another drink from his ichor.

"I getcha, I getcha, we won't be staying over anyway," the pirate profusely promised. "We'll be headed over the Ascendant Justice's theater soon enough. Marines have actually invited us in fact, guess it's a small way of knowing we're semi-forgiven."

Shepard could hope at least. However, he did need to stress a point to the Jackal all the same.

"It is going to take a lot more to really prove to everyone you've legitimately turned over a new leaf," The Commander warned. "We have a major fight ahead of us after all. Even with the Armada gone, the Covenant have Earth in their sights. And that's going to be one hell of a fight no matter which way you slice it. And with no Astral Cutlass to assist, well, you have a lot to prove."

Zek nodded, tapping at his mug.

"I still have a good portion of the sword's power coursing through my ship," he reminded Shepard. "Plus some major upgrades coming its way to boot. We'll be ready for that fight, mark my words. Maybe after I blow open a few Covenant Frigates, they'll really start to trust me again."

He said that last line with a tinge of hope. Shepard could tell it was genuine for once, not just him trying to gauge the system for his benefit. In light of that, he tried to expend some advice.

"Do more than just blow up enemy ships," he told Zek sincerely. "Be there to pull human lives out of the fire, to take up the call to action when needed. Be more than just a weapon, show them everything you're capable of when the time comes."

"Fully intend to," Zek assured him. "And so long as you remain my advocate, I'm not worried about getting fucked over the same way I was in the Covenant. I'm... sorry I didn't trust you sooner, Shepard. We could've avoided, uh... a lot of grief I think."

Shepard nodded to the Jackal as he took a more humbling stance.

"Like I said, Zek, don't just be sorry, act on it," he reiterated. "I can tell you want to make the most of this second chance. I'd like to see how far you can go in this new career of yours as a privateer."

"Same, but I already have an idea," Zek insisted. "So long as the UNSC does right by me and my own, my crew and myself stand ready to finish what we started back at Halo. The Covenant must end, I see that now more clearly than ever. The kig-yar have been manipulated and used by others for far too long. It's time for us to reclaim what we are, the schemers and cunning free thieves of the black. Not hired thugs for religious zealots. It starts here, with a fair and equal contract. One that will see the end of the Covenant once and for all."

Zek held up his mug high towards Commander Shepard.

"To fortune and glory, Commander," he declared. "To a new Golden Dawn for Pirate and Human!"

Shepard grabbed his half-full cup from the counter nearby and toasted Zek's mug.

"To fortune and glory for all of us," he stated.

Zek drunk his mug clean, although Shepard only sipped at the fruit juice inside his. As Zek slammed his mug down to the deck he turned to his men.

"Another round on everyone! Drink and be merry tonight, boys!" He cried out. "We have a long war ahead of us tomorrow!"

As Zek rejoined his cheering band of brigands, Shepard noticed Varvok approaching him. The batarian was still in his full combat armor, although he was holding a glass of something in his hand. The four-eyed alien was also more jovial than usual, his sour disposition nearly vanished from his face.

"I'm glad to see Zek is taking his new position in stride," Varvok noted aloud.

"Despite the usual boisterous rowdy nature, he seems to have changed," Shepard observed. "He seems all in on the mission now, and not just for profit. I'm not sure how far he'll ultimately go with this new mindset, but I have better hopes for him than I did yesterday."

"Just keep him on this path," Varvok requested. "As his advocate, you have his trust and that of the UNSC. It should be easier to manage him with that in mind. And we will need him, especially for what comes next."

Shepard concurred readily, but turned away from Zek's raucous partying with his crew to look at Varvok more directly.

"He's not the only one who's changed here," The Commander stated. "You are a far cry from the man who travelled to a whole other dimension just to kill me."

Varvok chortled a snort at that.

"I suppose I am," he admitted, sounding a little distant. "If my family wasn't angry before, they likely would be furious to know I am working with Commander Shepard on a far more friendly basis than even I expected."

"You shouldn't let that eat away at you," Shepard informed him with a serious tone. "You're a good soldier, Varvok. Better than what the Hegemony deserves given how they treated you. If your family can't come to terms with that, if they can't understand why you've done what you have done, then that is their problem. Not yours."

Varvok just shrugged.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't change facts," he stoically mused. "Even if we succeed and defeat the Covenant, the Hegemony will still view me as a traitor. My fight and my men's fight doesn't end with the dissolution of the Covenant, it is only getting started there. Until the Hegemony is forced to change, I'll never be welcome home."

Shepard shook his head at that. To know someone as patriotic and loyal to the idea of what a batarian was could be cast aside so easily, it really put things into perspective. The Commander couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, knowing his role in that.

"Whatever you need, Varvok," he assured him. "I will do my best to provide you. I can work some strings with Alliance Command, help you set up a proper guerilla fighting force..."

Varvok just raised up his hand.

"I appreciate the offer, Commander, but I will need to find my own resources when the time comes," he insisted. "I can't become an asset for a foreign power if I hope to change things. My people's liberation must come from ourselves."

"At least don't turn away help when its offered," Shepard told him. "If not Alliance backing, then from others who share your goals."

"Believe me, I have no intention of turning away assistance," Varvok promised. "It is going to be hard enough just fighting back against my own government. Stopping its state-sponsored terror attacks, dismantling its slavery system, I will need all the help I can get. I just need people to see that the bulk of my efforts are the result of one of their own."

"I have a friend who can keep the assistance discreet then," Shepard promised, his mind thinking of a certain blue-skinned information broker.

Varvok just grinned.

"I'm sure you do," he said. "But until then, one enemy at a time. First, we stop the Covenant, then I free my people from the government that would trade their lives for revenge. After that, well, I will have to figure out what to tell my family."

"You have an idea of what you are going to say when the time comes?" Shepard asked, suspecting the stoic alien soldier did.

Varvok was quiet for a moment, clearly lost in thought. He said nothing for a solid minute, before finally raising his head and looking to Shepard.

"I'll tell them the truth," he confessed. "That I was loyal to an idea, not a government. And that is what should matter to any true batarian."

With a respectful nod, Varvok left to join the pirates in the reverie. Zek spotted him and shoved a fresh mug of ichor into the batarian's hands, before the group began to sing yet another shanty aloud.

Shepard decided then and there to make himself scarce. He had other duties to attend to after all, other people he wanted to be with. As he made his way towards the elevator, he ran into someone most unexpected, but not unwanted.

Leaning against the far wall near the elevator was the Master Chief.

"Chief, good to see you," Shepard pleasantly greeted. "I didn't think you were much for victory celebration."

"I'm not, sir," Chief confirmed. "But I needed to speak with you. It's... important."

Chief didn't need to say another word, Shepard merely nodded. The two of them headed over to the currently vacant starboard observation deck. There Chief looked out at the stars beyond the glass, more contemplative in expression than Shepard was used to.

"I know everyone is elated at how things turned out, but I can only ever think about where we went wrong," Chief began to explain. "That's nothing new for me, of course. I always overplay the mission in my mind, searching for ways to improve our tactics."

"Believe me, I know the feeling," Shepard concurred.

"I keep coming back to what happened with Linda though," Chief continued. "How we almost lost her. How... we could've lost her if I hadn't made the choice I did."

"No one is going to judge you for that choice," Shepard assured him. "You made the best decision and you managed to get one of your squad out of a bad situation."

Chief may have inwardly appreciated the sentiment, but he still shook his head.

"It wasn't part of the mission," he explained. "I went out of my way to go after her, to get her to safety, despite everything in my training telling me not to. That it was a bad call. That I endangered the successful extraction of the rest of the squad."

"But you didn't," Shepard informed him. "Linda is alive because of you and the rest of the Spartans had our extraction well in hand. If anyone could have flown back and found Linda, it was you. It was a good call, don't tell yourself different."

"I'm not," Chief gruffly corrected the Commander "I don't question the call I made. I would've made it again under the same circumstances. I have no regrets, no second thoughts. I know it was the right call and I am glad I made it."

Shepard looked the Spartan confused. He was used to having to reassure his crew over their choices, or try to lead them back to the right path. Instead, Chief had no doubts about what he had done. Which was good, since Shepard agreed with his decision to save Linda, but it was odd.

"If that's the case, why are you bringing it up at all?" He asked the Spartan curiously.

"For a long time, I have always thought of the mission first, I took my men into account of course, but my mind was focused completely on achieving our objectives and getting as many home alive as I could," Chief explained. "I always considered the possibility of a soldier's life being spent over being wasted. It was how I governed myself in combat. And yet... when I lost all the Spartans... it was hard to reconcile that train of thought."

Shepard said nothing, he just listened intently.

"Saving Linda had nothing to do with the mission and everything to do with how I felt," Chief explained succinctly. "That I would not lose a Spartan if I could save them. If there was a remote chance I could protect them. That the individual life in that moment mattered more than the mission. And recognizing that, it has put things into perspective."

"What perspective?" Shepard asked, eager to find out what this was all leading to.

Chief turned away from the window and looked to Shepard directly.

"Commander, it goes without saying that I trust you," he explained. "More than I have most people outside the Spartans. That is why what I am about to say is said in the strictest confidence of that trust."

Shepard nodded, crossing his arms and readying himself for whatever the Spartan had to share.

"Before Halsey left the fleet, I spoke with her at length about something she uncovered," Chief began to explain. "A possible means of fighting back against the Flood... and the potential cost."

Chief went on to explain everything to Shepard. About Sergeant Johnson's potential immunity to the Flood, how it was likely the real reason behind his survival on Halo. How the mild healing factor was no doubt a major component to the Marine Non-Com's successful career. It was indeed an incredible fount of information to be sure. And then, Chief explained the choice Halsey had presented him: The cost of one soldier's life for the possibility of a cure sooner.

Shepard couldn't help but rankle his entire core being at the very notion.

"Halsey, always with her tests," he groused. "I can't believe she'd force that decision on you."

"But she did, and now I am the only one who can make the call," Chief explained.

The Spartan pulled out a small data drive from his armor's storage space and handed it to the Commander.

"That contains the full unredacted report concerning Johnson's Flood Immunity," He explained. "I want you to hold onto it, keep it safe. Show it to Mordin. I will send the redacted report in to ONI later once we are in comm buoy range."

Shepard took the data drive, but he felt stunned all the same as he did so.

"You're trusting me with this?" He asked. "Why?"

"Because I know you would never permit what ONI, or just as likely Cerberus within ONI, will do with that information," Chief explained. "And if anyone can find a defense against the Flood with it, Mordin is the best choice."

Shepard looked unsure.

"Mordin has mentioned he isn't certain there is a cure for the Flood," he explained. "If even he has doubts..."

"It's still better off with you at the end of the day, sir, even if nothing comes of it," Chief insisted. "Point is, I can't bring myself to sacrifice Johnson for the slim hope of a cure. Especially with ONI compromised. I know I can trust you though, and your crew. If there can be any use gleamed from that data without the loss of a good man to accomplish it, I trust you have a better chance of finding it than anyone else."

Shepard could see the seriousness of the matter at hand. He finally just nodded and pocketed the data drive.

"I'll have Mordin keep this some place secure," Shepard promised. "And believe me, I understand how big a deal this is."

Chief nodded once more and began to leave. The Commander stopped him halfway.

"Chief," he spoke up, stopping the Spartan in his tracks. "Keep those feelings of yours in mind for the future, alright? Remember them if you ever question if you're more than a weapon or a soldier. I think they're proof enough you are."

Chief merely nodded in his usual stoic fashion before he slowly walked off.

It took a bit more time for Shepard to get up to his cabin after that. He went around the ship, talked to a few of the crew, got a report from Miranda and then Joker on the current status of the Flotilla. They'd be making headway to Earth soon enough, once Whitcomb finalized things with the Syndicate and their own contracts.

When he finally got to his cabin, Tali had been waiting for a while and was busying herself with her own work. Nonetheless, she quickly dropped it all to embrace him as he entered the room. The two returned to the sofa not long after that to discuss the recent events.

"All things considered, it all worked out," Tali observed. "The Covenant fleet heading for Earth is destroyed, Zek is back with us, for good or ill, the UNSC now has powerful allies in the form of the Syndicate, and we are finally on our way back to Earth."

"Yeah, where the real fighting awaits," Shepard noted. "Somehow that feels a lot less mentally taxing than trying to play arbitrator for everyone in this little fleet."

"But you did it, Shepard," Tali reminded him, her voice full of admiration and joy. "You kept this alliance together and because of that we now stand an even better chance at stopping the Covenant and whatever the Reapers are planning with them."

True, Shepard couldn't deny the success of it, but it was still a trying moment in his life. Fighting your enemies was a cakewalk compared to trying to get people to get along. If any of these events put things into perspective for him, it was how hard it was going to be to do the same back home. When the Reapers finally came and forced his Galaxy into a very similar do or die situation.

And the Reapers were coming, another thing he had been painfully reminded of due to recent events. Them and a whole host of other horrors if that future vision was anything to go by. He momentarily thought back to the image of Tali, haunted and broken by the war he hadn't been there to fight.

He could not let that happen. He would never let that happen.

"We got our work cut out for us all the same," Shepard recognized. "The Covenant won't take this lying down. Two fleets of theirs, utterly annihilated, along with the ringworld they consider sacred. If they didn't hate me enough already, they certainly have a ton of reasons to target me now, or the Master Chief for that matter."

"Good thing you two are so seemingly joined at the hip then," Tali chuckled. "I think the Covenant have a lot more reasons to be afraid after today, knowing you two are still out here."

"Yeah, but don't forget, they're hardly our only problem out here, and I'm not just talking about the Inquisitor," Shepard reminded her.

Tali nodded, recognizing what he meant.

"Cerberus has infiltrated ONI, who knows what kind of problems that is going to present us when we get back to Earth," she laid out pretty succinctly. "And of course... the Flood is still out there. The Astral Cutlass was more connected to them than any of us thought."

"And connected to the exodus of the Forerunners to our universe through the wormhole," Shepard noted. "Liara is going to have her hands full, almost as much as us."

"She will manage, Shepard," Tali reassured him. "She sent you that report about how she stopped that corporate false flag coup on Palaven, remember? We have to focus on what we can do here for now."

Shepard remembered, and he knew Tali was right. It was just hard to think of one of his friends back home encountering a slew of her own troubles and not being able to help. Not directly anyway. The more they disrupted the Covenant and Reapers over here, the better off Liara would likely be.

"All I know for sure is I can't let what's happening here come back to bite our home dimension," Shepard insisted once more. "If the Covenant find another Halo, it's only a matter of time before they let the Flood out again. And with Earth in the Crosshairs, we are going to need all the help we can get to stop the Covenant in their tracks. I'm not sure the pirates will be enough to do that."

"It is a start though," Tali assured him. "By proving this alliance was viable, it stands to reason we can bring more members of the Covenant over to our side. From sound of things, they aren't nearly as cohesive as they appear."

Shepard nodded in agreement.

"We just have to keep pushing, hoping, building on the foundation we started here," he declared. "Creating a stronger alliance between our dimensions. One strong enough to beat back the Covenant, the Reapers, and even the Flood if need be. If this little treasure hunt had taught us anything, and reassured me of anything, it's that we're stronger together, no matter how different and disparate we may appear."

Tali just laughed.

"You don't need to speechify when we're alone, you know," she reminded him.

"I have way too many built up after this nonsense," Shepard sighed. "Sue me."

"I'll refrain from that," Tali told him, rubbing the tip of her visor against his nose and then lightly booping it with her finger. "I think I'd rather help you destress for tonight instead."

Shepard perked up at that, grinning broadly.

"Oh, that sounds like a plan to me," he commented.

As he moved towards her, Tali suddenly pushed her fingers into his chest, lightly forcing him back into the sofa.

"Patience, Commander," she said teasingly. "There is still one matter I think we need to resolve before we can begin... boarding procedures, to borrow a pirate phrase."

"Appropriate enough use of a phrasing I guess," Shepard relented. "But, what do you mean about resolving things?"

Tali's eyes seemed to smirk a little at this.

"Well, speaking of Liara," she began. "Remember a few days ago when you came clean about what went down in that horrible future you visited?"

Shepard gulped, he remembered when he gave her the details on that adventure. Not all of them of course, just the one thing that was most pertinent to their relationship. Cortana had actually threatened to say something if he didn't at some point.

"You're not still mad about that, are you?" He asked. "You know I didn't want that and Liara didn't-"

"Relax Shepard," Tali laughed teasingly. "I am mature enough to move past the weird nonsense that constantly gets thrown our way. I stuck my head into my work and got through it, everything was fine. Trust me on that. You are not in trouble and I'm not mad at Liara for something her alternate future self did."

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, that's good to know," He stated. "I was really worried that you-"

"BUT, I do need to work it out of my system just a tiny bit more," Tali explained. "So would you mind calling Liara up so I can discuss the matter a bit more directly?"

"Uh, I don't-"

"Oh and also, EDI," Tali said, looking up to the ceiling. "Could you begin the environmental compatibility procedures while Shepard warms up the Trans-dimensional communication connection?"

EDI's voice instantly perked up over the intercom.

"At once, Chief Engineer Zorah," The AI Replied.

"Tali, you're going to keep this friendly, right?" Shepard asked, more than a little anxious at the quarian, as she got up from the sofa.

"Of course, I am just going to have a friendly chat with Liara, that is all," she promised as she slid the hood over her helmet back. "Oh by the way, Shepard could you strip down a bit and do some push-ups in the corner over there. Work up a bit of a sweat."

Shepard suddenly realized where this was going as soon as he began to see Tali begin to work through her suit's environmental controls. As well as loosening some seals on her visor.

"Tali, you said you were a mature grown woman," Shepard reminded her. "Isn't this a little beneath you?"

"I'm not THAT mature," Tali chortled. "Sometimes, a girl has to remind others that... well, there are boundaries. That's all. Keelah, Shepard, don't make this anything more than it is. I'm just going to work things out with Liara and remind her of where things stand, that's all."

Shepard watched as Tali began to take off her visor, as the cabin's environmental controls changed to better reflect her internal suit's biological conditions. As he felt a bit at his uniform's collar, his nerves started to fray.

"Are you... sure that there wasn't another Precursor memory or something like that in one of the other relics that got released or leftover in the Astral Cutlass itself?" He asked tepidly. "Because I-"

Tali bolted over to Shepard and began pulling at his front zipper on his uniform. Her silver eyes laid bare from outside her visor.

"I am perfectly fine, Wade," she said in a slightly threatening, if sultry, manner. "Trust me when I say this is ALL me. I have just learned not to let certain feelings get balled up for too long. And the sooner you call Liara, the sooner I can work out those certain feelings and you can experience ALL of me and MORE."

Tali then suddenly ran her tongue up along Shepard's cheek and looked deeply in his eyes.

"Does that sound like a deal we can work with?" She asked. "Oh great diplomatic captain of two universes?"

"Yes, ma'am," Shepard replied, quickly moving to remove the rest of his uniform.

"Good, now then best get to sweating," Tali told him. "Don't stop until me and Liara are done with our... girl talk. You need the warmup before the REAL workout."

Tali let out a giggle as Shepard began his "warmup" routine. He hoped Liara wouldn't be too embarrassed over this whole thing. All he knew in the moment was, the prospect of fighting an interdimensional war for the survival of sentient life across two universes, was a lot less dire than dealing a quarian girlfriend who suddenly felt the need to assert some dominance all of a sudden.

The things a captain did to keep his crew happy.

---

AN: I suspect a few may be disappointed to see the Astral Cutlass go after we took so long to get it. But I hope leaving a portion of its power with the Fallen Serpent is a satisfactory conclusion to its arc. This way, it still has an impact, without becoming a Deus Ex Machina in a box. I will go over this further in the blogpost that is likely up by now. I also hope the slightly more saucey ending is alright. After so many years doing this, I think I earned some steamy Talimancer action to close this out.

But we still have an epilogue to get to. Check that out and I will leave you with some quick thoughts there before we close this story for good.