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*New Odessa had seen better days. When it was first colonized, it was little more than a semi-barren rock, where the most advanced life-form in its alkaline lakes were hardy single cell bacteria. Two centuries of terraforming had turned it, and it’s primarily Russian colonists, into a functioning, if not barely thriving, member of the United Earth Government and its network of worlds. *

*When the Covenant came in 2542, the colonists, many of whom were of proud and noble Russian stock, fought back valiantly, and died just as well as they fought. Thankfully, when it came to glassing the planet, the Covenant decided that New Odessa wasn’t worth a full scale bombardment, and simply ruined the capital city and left. That made it easier for… less honorable members of society, both human and alien, to move back onto New Odessa and set up shop. *

*None of which mattered to Yancy as he gripped the emergency roll handle of the Warthog tightly as he and his partner fled to one of the few legal docks on the planet, their pursuers close behind them. “Fucking Flood dickshit!” he shouted as a spray of bullets flew just past his head, “These assholes were supposed to quit after five miles! The fuck they still chasing us for?!” His partner snorted as he sent the ‘Hog into a powerslide, barely avoiding the wreck of a ruined Phantom. *

*“I am certain that them finding you in bed with Lukyanov’s daughter had absolutely nothing to do with it,” Viko commented dryly as he swerved to the left, the blue contrail of a UNSC gauss cannon streaking just past them. Yancy groaned as he twisted in his seat, struggling to reach the handle of their hopeful salvation. *

*“Hey, she came to my bed!” Yancy shot back angrily, pulling out the M319 IGL from the storage rack behind him. Popping it open, the human slid an impact detonated round in before closing the breach. “And last I checked, you were fucking one of his personal bodyguards you hypocrite!” The Sangheili beside him snarled as they entered a tunnel, the pack of six ‘Hogs following them in moments later. *

*“Her clan was of lesser standing!” Viko snapped. “For her, it was an honor to be bedded by a proud and noble swordsman, a warrior of great renown!” Yancy grunted, unimpressed as he aimed the grenade launcher. *

*“Uh-huh,” he commented. And then he pulled the trigger. *

*The 40mm explosive sailed through the air, spinning gracefully like a small, fat, and viciously bitchy ballerina. It hit the ceiling, exploding in a great fireball, and before Lukyanov’s cronies could react, sent a tidal wave of rubble crashing down on them. Viko looked in the mirrors, and narrowed his eyes. “Yancy….” *

*“Yeah?” *

*“Was that our last grenade?” *

*“...maybe?” Yancy replied, suddenly sheepish as he looked down at the now useless grenade launcher. Tossing it into the bed of the FAV, he twisted back into his seat, yawning. “Look, if you’re worried about that Sparrowhawk he’s got, forget about it. Those birds have been out service for years now, and the one he’s got has more rust on it than moving parts. There’s no way it could possibly be flight worthy.” *

*The pair’s ‘Hog flew out of the tunnel, and there in front of them, hovering above the twisted, mangled top of a frigate’s MAC prong, was a working AC-220 Vulture gunship. Viko slowed the Warthog just slightly to glare at Yancy. “Of course, that Vulture on the other hand,” Yancy added, sighing with a look of utter disdain on his face. *

*The Vulture’s loudspeakers burst into life, a steady stream of furious, and likely profanity laden Russian, spewing out as Viko looked around, searching for an escape route. “Wish you had another grenade?” he asked. Yancy rolled his eyes as he gave the Vulture a single digit salute. *

*“Fuck off.” Yancy looked at the busted up frigate near them. “Hey, think you can drive up that?” he asked, noticing just how… close, the gunship was beginning to become with the wreckage. *

*Viko looked, then back at Yancy, back to the wreckage, and swore. [Are you a hells-damned retard Yancy?!] *

*“Bub, English.” *

*Viko grumbled as he set the ‘Hog in gear. “We are lucky our transport is close,” he stated, slamming a hoof down on the accelerator, sending the ‘Hog leaping forward like a certain feline predator. “If this stunt of yours kills us, I will disembowel you myself!” Yancy tensed, watching as the Vulture jerked, trying to get a bead on them as its twin autocannons opened fire, the aircraft stupidly moving right where they wanted it to go. *

*Yancy patted the front of his combat vest, and gulped. *

*And with a shared look, the two of them jumped. *

*The human and Sangheili tumbled along the scarred hull plates as the ‘Hog continued to charge forward at breakneck speeds. But by then, it was too late for the Vulture to pull away; the FAV flew off the deck and into the portside engine intake, and a second later, the entire left side of the Vulture exploded spectacularly before plummeting to the ground with all the dignity of a drunk brick. And then promptly exploded again when it the ground. Viko groaned, nursing a new set of bruises on his side as he glared at Yancy. “You have our package, do you not?” he asked. *

*Yancy chuckled, simply laying down where he had landed as he pulled a small, palm sized datapad out of one of his chest pockets. “Don’t worry Vik my friend,” he breathed out as the ammo stores for the Vulture exploded, “ We’ll be getting a shitload of money for what we have when we get to Mars!” *

[][][]

Dr1ft3r0I presents

“ New Odessa Tower, this is CMV Lazy Day, requesting clearance to depart and exit vector, over.”

In Association with SniperSpartan-977

“CMV Lazy Day, you are green to depart on exit vector two-seven by zero-one up local, over.”

Halo Chronicles: Under the Blood Red Sands

“Copy, exit two-seven by zero-one up local. CMV Lazy Day, out.”

Based on Halo by Bungie Studios, Microsoft, and 343i

[][][]

L5 Lagrange Point, Mars Orbit

Sol System

June 5, 2554, 07:26 MST

Yancy Waller groaned as he kicked the console in front of him. The former UNSC soldier was in a foul mood, and the lack of coffee in his system was not helping. Nor the many, many problems involved with a ship like the Lazy Day. Yancy could only assume that at one point, the Lazy Day had been, at one point, a corvette. Years of neglect, combat, and piecemeal retrofitting and ship-bashing had produced a vessel that was both a work of art, and a temperamental bitch to maintain, with systems from a corvette trying to work with systems from a relatively newer cruiser, all powered by a reactor that had used to be inside of a destroyer.

But currently, the Lazy Day was a cargo runner. Or at least, it would be if the damned Slipspace drive didn’t decide to go belly up anytime soon. Or, as was likely the case, the reactor didn’t simply just melt out the ass of the ship, killing him and Viko before they reached the orbital elevator. “Hey Viko, slow it down up there would you?” he called into the radio affixed to his jump suit’s shoulder. “I’m getting some spikes down here, and the casing is starting to rattle again.”

“Can you not fix it?”

“Vik, if we actually had a proper crew and not a trio of overworked Hurogok and myself, we could,” Yancy complained as he typed away the console anyway. “The fact that we haven’t been cooked by the sheer amount of heat our systems pump out is a fucking miracle. That our reactor hasn’t melted yet is a miracle. If that damned package is worth what it is, then we should be more than able to refit this bucket of bolts with shit better than Harvest Campaign era salvage.” The Sangheili up in the bridge sighed as the ship shuddered.

“Very well. We are close to the Deimos Port, we shall stop there,” he said. “Can our engines last that long?” Yancy glanced at the readings.

“Yeah, we should be good till then,” he commented. “Try not to bang her up too much docking.” His partner huffed as the human adjusted the power output of the Lazy Day’s aging reactor and stepped away. “Christ, I need a fucking shower,” he grumbled before turning around to head to the lift. Passing by a pane of thick, radiation resistant glass, Yancy looked over his reflection.

He, in his opinion, wasn’t much to look at. At first glance, his skin tone was literally of the kind that he could blend in anywhere in human space comfortably enough to look like a natural resident. Although, there were some planets… and asteroids, and moons, where that just wasn’t going to happen. His hair, normally a dark shade of black, was mostly dyed beach blonde at the tips, and Yancy was, depending on the situation, either embarrassed or proud of his eyes; one a natural brown, the other a shocking electric blue.

Stepping into the lift, Yancy punched in the button for the crew deck, and seconds later, stepped off. Rolling his shoulder, he yawned as his stomach growled. “Oh shut up,” he mumbled, his face souring as he opened the hatch to his quarters.

Had the Lazy Day been crewed like it would have back in her earliest service, the room that Yancy called his would have had twin, double bunk racks inside, with the crewmen hot swapping as they went on duty and off. Now, it pretty much consisted of only a single bed that Yancy ignored in favor of the tiny walk in shower. Stripping his uniform off, Yancy cranked the knob of his shower as far as he could move it, and before too long, the human was standing under the scalding hot water.

“God, please, make this payday worth it,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair, pulling apart the wild knots that had formed in his agonizing thirty shift to make sure the Lazy Day didn’t fall apart. Turning the shower off, Yancy stepped out and dried off, the deck under his feet shuddering.

“Yancy, we are nearly in port,” Viko said over the intercom. “Where is our contact?”

Yancy tapped the button next to his door frame. “Down on the surface, near where the old Misriah Armories used to be,” he told him. “Used to be a big industrial zone, now it’s one of those places where you can get near anything not on the open market without too many questions. I got the address, don’t worry.” Yancy paused. “All the same, you might want to go down armored. Just, not too armored, you know?”

Viko didn’t reply, which suited Yancy just fine as he slipped into something more appropriate for the surface of Mars. Namely, a retired pair of UNSC ACU pants, his old boots, tight fitting shirt, and lightly armored combat vest. Pulling out the M6A he kept by his bed, Yancy pocket several extra mags before he pulled out the package.

It was a datapad, the contents of which Yancy and Viko didn’t know, and weren’t getting paid to know. All the same, Yancy visually inspected it just to make sure that nothing was damaged before sliding it into an external hard pouch he then attached to his leg. He made his way quickly enough to one of the Lazy Day’s airlocks, waiting patiently for Viko to finish docking the ship. And then, a few minutes later, he felt the ship shudder as clamps locked down on the hull of the Lazy Day.

Soon, Viko came into view, the Sangheili crouching just slightly in his armor as he looked over his companion. Yancy quirked an eyebrow at the incomplete set of Sangheili Ultra armor, a plasma pistol and energy sword being the only things attached to Viko’s legs. “Don’t want anything a bit, I don’t know, bigger?” he asked, gesturing to the plasma pistol.

“Discretion is the better part of honor, in this matter,” Viko commented, tapping the controls for the airlock to cycle. “After all, you yourself are carrying a sidearm.”

“Yeah, well, that’s because it’s the only thing that can get through customs this far in the UNSC without us getting arrested.”

Viko shook his head as the airlock finally cycled open. “For one discharged from the services of your Army with honor, you are certainly nothing but a cowardly curr when it comes to it,” the alien warrior stated as the two of them walked out of the Lazy Day and onto the orbital platform. Yancy spat in disgust.

“Look, not all of us are born with a silver spoon in our mouths you ass,” he snapped, glaring at the customs official looking at them. “Some of us actually had to, you know, survive.” Viko looked at his associate in bewilderment before they came upon the Mars Customs official.

“So, a human and a split-lip walk onto Deimos,” the officer said, looking at Viko and Yancy slowly. That merely gave the two ample time to see the Mars National Guardsman next to the airlock, M45D shotgun in hand. “So, what brings you here to Mars?”

“Business,” Yancy said quickly. “Got a meeting down dirtside, but engine trouble made us cut it kinda close, you know?” The officer leaned over to the side and saw through the windows the cobbled-together state of the Lazy Day.

“Shit, you fuckers are lucky you ain’t gorram glowing righ’ now,” the officer said. “Alright, go ahead, and make sure your papers are in order, and don’t do anything stupid, got it? We already got enough shit going to deal with, and I hate paperwork.” Yancy nodded as he and Viko walked past the officer and his escort, moving into the station proper.

“What does he mean by ‘papers?’” Viko asked, looking down at Yancy who merely pulled out his primary datapad.

“Old human phrase, back when most of our documentation actually was made out of paper,” Yancy explained in brief as the two fell in line with the modestly sized crowd looking to get onto Mars through Deimos. Most of the crowd were fellow spacers, like they were, but here and there, Yancy saw a few UNSC servicemen, likely on orders or transferring in to reinforce the garrison.

The two waited in line for a few minutes before Viko spoke up. “Yancy… we never had to do this out in the border systems,” the Sangheili said quietly, eyes narrowing. “Why must we do it here?”

“Because people like to try and smuggle bombs through customs,” Yancy deadpanned. Viko pulled back in surprise.

“And that is a bad thing?”

“It is when there’s a significant civilian population at risk,” Yancy said flatly, looking dead ahead. Viko narrowed his eyes. His companion was a fine example of a human with a fluid sense of honor, but even this, with the human’s cold and unyielding tone, was a bit harsh coming from Yancy.

“On Sanghelios, all are warriors in their own way,” Viko commented. “Such is the way of things among my people.”

“Yeah, well, we ain’t among your people, now are we?” Yancy shot back angrily as they got closer and closer to the desk. “And besides, you’ve killed how many people to get that sword of yours?”

Viko felt himself bristle in anger before he noticed the guards looking at his, their hands drawn close to their weapons. “It matters not,” he said, forcing himself to relax. “My heresy will stay my feet, and you will willing pull us deeper into dishonor. All matters considered, we are both going to Hell.” Yancy let out a humorless chuckle as he watched the woman in front of him step out of line to head to an open kiosk.

“You’re assuming we need to die in order to get there,” he said, his voice now less angered and more… was it possibly resigned? Viko wasn’t certain as he watched Yancy get called up, and then soon after, he himself headed to a kiosk, a female fox manning the station.

“Papers?” she asked, eyeing Viko’s weapons carefully.

The Sangheili slid over his datapad, standing tall out of habit. The immigration official powered the device on and slid it onto her desk terminal. “So, Viko ‘Magamai, what brings a Sangheili swordsman here to Mars?”

“Business,” Viko declared truthfully. “I do not seek a quarrel, if that is what you are worried about.” The vixen looked at him in professional disinterest as she typed away at her keyboard.

“Well, I’m sure this goes without saying for you, but please, remember that you are in human controlled space, and are therefore prosecutable under our laws. Do anything stupid, and we will find you and persecute you to the full extent of the law,” the officer said before handing Viko his pad back. “Welcome to Mars, and enjoy your stay here.” Viko nodded as he took back his pad, moving out of the way so the next person could step up.

Moving to the exit, Viko spotted Yancy, the human looking at the exit with a stubborn look on his face, arms crossed. “Are you well Yancy?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Yancy retorted defensively, sighing as he led the two of them over to the terminal of the elevator itself. Viko looked around, keeping an eye on his companion. The terminal itself was spacious enough, with enough room for him to stand and move comfortably. In front of him, a large shutter-like door closed, sending the carriage down to the surface of the planet.

“Yancy… you’ve been more irritable than usual since we’ve arrived,” the Sangheili said after a few minutes of waiting. “Why is-”

“Viko, if you have any amount of respect for me, you will drop it,” Yancy said with a glare at the window, showing the rust-red surface of the planet below. “I don’t want to talk about it, and the sooner we get this done, and the sooner we get paid, the better.” Viko opened his mouth, but Yancy continued. “Look, you have shit you don’t talk about, and so do I. So please, just… let it rest, okay? I just want to get off this planet as soon as possible and pick up our next job.”

Viko remained silent as the next carriage arrived. Together, he and Yancy stepped aboard and strapped themselves in for the inevitable drop. When the release clamps let go, Viko felt his stomach fly up to settle next to his hearts. Grunting against the mild inconvenience of the high gravity drop, Viko looked over and saw Yancy close his eyes, seemingly unconcerned and falling asleep.

[][][]

Hours later, and the two of them were walking among the ruins of Misriah Armory’s former warehouses. “Yancy, this is a bad idea,” Viko stated, the Sangheili keeping one hand close to his plasma pistol. Yancy shrugged as he ignored the clusters of homeless people and other denizens of ill-repute looking at them.

“Well, our meeting is in there, so that’s where we’re going,” he said simply, leading Viko into a warehouse. Opening the door, the two of them were greeted with a seemingly solid wall of guns. Most of them were UNSC surplus, but Viko and Yancy could see the tell-tale curves of Loyalist Covenant plasma weapons scattered among them. “...hello, we’re here to see Mr. Black, is he in right now?” Yancy asked politely.

One of the guards stepped forward, a scanning wand in hand. Yancy sighed as he held his arms up, nudging Viko to do the same with his foot. Scowling, the Sangheili did the same a moment later, and soon, the two of them were led deeper into the warehouse, their weapons still on their persons. Of course, when they were easily outnumbered dozens to one, it didn’t matter. All the same, the two of them took note of the exits and paths out of the warehouse before coming to the main room.

All around them were guards, thugs, and various hangers-on, but what drew Yancy’s attention was the solitary man dressed in black in the middle of the room, surrounded by vid-screens and servers. “Make sure that shipment gets there, or else,” he said coldly before focusing on the mismatched pair approaching them. “So, you two are the ones with my package,” he said. Yancy nodded, pulling out the datapad from his hip pouch.

“Yep, got your delivery right here,” he commented, letting a crony take it from his fingers. “Now, the payment?”

The aptly named ‘Mr. Black’ chuckled as he held his hand up and twitched his fingers. Without a word, an underling walked forward, a briefcase in hand. “Five hundred million credits,” he said as the crony opened it, revealing a pair of cards. “Both wired to a single account, and yours for services rendered.” Yancy and Viko slowly reached over and retrieved their respective cards. “Now, there is a job I am willing to offer you, if the two of you are interested.” Viko glanced at Yancy and huffed, twitching the mandibles on the right side of his face.

“We’re interested,” Yancy said respectfully, pocketing his card. “So, what’s the job?”

“Cargo transport,” Mr. Black replied, pointing at a nearby crate. “I have some items that need transport from here to a drop point near the border, and not get caught by the Navy.” Yancy shrugged as he looked at the crate.

“Well, that shouldn’t be a problem Mr. Black. In fact, we’ll be happy to take those crates off your hands!” he said with a smile. “Just need to know exactly where me and my associate will be going, and we can be on our way!”

“Now, just hold on there!” Mr. Black interjected, holding out a hand. “We got time to move the cargo to your ship. Why not stay, relax, enjoy what we got in the back?”

“In the back?” Viko said, narrowing his eyes as he crossed his arms.

“Vik, let me handle this!” Yancy hissed as Mr. Black continued.

“Well gentlemen, I happen to be a trader of fine goods that many in the UNSC and the… Swords of Sanghelios don’t get very often,” he said. “I mean, it would be a fine shame if you two didn’t stay to at least browse our wares!” Yancy looked around the warehouse, and then back at Viko, who forced his arms to fall back to his sides.

Ah, good, even he thought that this was a fool’s decision.

“I… suppose, we can stay for a bit,” Yancy said after a brief pause. “Besides, with the minor repairs we need to run on our ship, why, it’ll be perfect for us both! Time for us to prepare, and time for you to move your shipment to our hold! Everyone wins!” he added, spreading his arms out wide. “Right Vik?” The Sangheili grunted his assent as the surrounding guards all lowered their weapons slowly.

Smiling, Mr. Black pointed towards a side door and grinned. “Right this way gentlemen!” he exclaimed as a toady opened it, revealing a staircase going down. “Can’t have you two miss out on the fun now, can we?” Yancy shook his head as he and Viko walked towards the staircase. “Now, I’ll be making sure that you two get the, err, specifics, of your job before you leave today.” The two smugglers chuckled uneasily as they descended the staircase, the walls very dimly lit as they continued deeper into the Red Planet.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Mr. Black smiled and opened yet another door, and what Yancy and Viko saw made their jaws drop in astonishment.

The sprawling marketplace they now found themselves in was impressive in its own right, but what really drew the two’s attention was the sheer number of things being sold in open sight. Weapons of both human and alien varieties, disgraced Sangheili warriors offering their services to the highest bidder in one stall, and in a corner, an advertisement for a way to become ‘untraceable’ by ONI.

As they walked through the crowds, Yancy noticed a small gap in the crowds, as if stepping aside from something. And when he saw the person they were getting out of the way of, the human’s fists clenched in anger.

The person was physically similar to Yancy, Viko supposed, as he saw the newcomer stop in front of them. He had what was considered ‘fair’ skin among humans, and a head of thinning, yet vibrant, red hair. “So, Blackie, when you said you had a friend of mine comin’ in, I didn’t think you meant the kid here!” the man said jovially as he held his arm out. “So, Yancy boy, nothing to say to yer Uncle Fergy?”

Yancy looked at the arm coldly before looking back up. “I don’t have an Uncle Fergy Fergus,” he replied icily. Viko glanced at Yancy in slight bewilderment, hiding his astonishment. In Sangheili culture, to disown oneself from their uncle was… well, to be honest, Viko didn’t know if a Sangheili even could disown their own uncle. Apparently humans could.

The man known as Fergus sighed. “Yancy, Yancy, I know we had a fallin’ out son, but please-,” he began before Yancy cut him off.

“Look, I’m only down here because if I didn’t me and my friend here would die of acute lead poisoning, and find our bodies dumped in a vat of lead where the cameras can’t see,” he snapped coolly. “I’m only here to get the brief on this job, and that’s it. And to be blunt, I ain’t here to stick around with your… friends. So please, if you don’t mind.” Viko tensed as the guards around them clutched their weapons tightly before Fergus waved them down.

“Easy boys, just a little family chat,” he said before looking at Yancy in disappointment. “Well, if that’s how you want it-”

“And believe me, I do,” Yancy quipped deadpan.

“-then I won’ stop ye. Just follow Mr. Black here, and we can be on our separate ways,” he continued before nodded. “Was nice to see you again my Bairn.” Yancy grunted indignantly as Fergus left before holding up a hand to Viko.

“Not. Now,” he ground out to his alien friend as the group moved again, and wisely, Viko kept his mouth shut.

Mr. Black led them to a small structure inside the market, and gestured inside. “My assistant will show you inside,” he told them before walking away. “You’re job will be inside the booth.” Looking at each other, Yancy merely shrugged as he stepped forward, only to scramble back in fear not even a second later as a Brute stepped out of the shadows, a toothy smirk on his maw.

“Well well, new arrivals,” the massive, ape-like being growled, crossing his arms. “Black must be getting desperate. Or you two are really as tough as you think you are.” The Brute jerked his head to the side as Viko’s mandibles splayed out aggressively. “Follow me. Your booth for the auction is close by.”

Viko, for a change, took the lead, placing an arm protectively in front of Yancy as they entered the hall. Yancy looked at the back of Viko’s head in bewilderment, only to see the neck muscles of his associate twitching like high tension steel bands. Soon, the Brute had led them to a door and opened it. “Get in. The auction should start soon enough.”

Stepping inside, Viko reluctantly sat down in the plush, velvet covered seat by a small end table, a thick envelope lying atop it. Yancy sat across from him, the door shutting with a muted hiss. “Okay, I’ll admit, this is a lot different from what normally happens, but…,” Yancy began, pressing a hand down on the chair in appreciation, “I can’t complain so far.”

“Our employer hires honorless currs to serve as his security,” Viko spat out, glaring at the odd window beside them. Yancy sighed as he plucked the envelope off the table.

“Look, Vik, I know you hate this,” Yancy said as he opened the packet, eyes closed with a heavy sigh, “But you know we need the money to keep us fed, much less the Lazy Day running at anything resembling operational.” For a moment, it seemed to Viko that his human looked somehow older than he actually was. “But hey, maybe it’ll be like that one job with the food pallets. Remember how that went?”

“You were vomiting your past meals out onto the provincial governor’s wife as they were seeing us off,” Viko deadpanned with a stern look.

“Yeah, and you got laid as I seem to recall,” Yancy shot back with a grin as he began to read the mission orders. Viko huffed in annoyance as he closed his eyes.

“I did no such thing as to debase myself with a crass, and utterly wretched Kig-Yar harlot,” he shot back. He waited for a response, and upon not hearing a thing, cracked an eye open. Yancy was, for once, laser focused as he read the slips of paper in his hand. “Waller?”

“...You’re not going to like this,” Yancy said flatly as he held out the papers. Taking them, Viko began to read it, his knowledge of the human trade tongue finally serving him well as his eyes swept along the blocky glyphs. It was a cargo manifest, and it took the Sangheili only a few scant seconds to realize what the items on it were.

“These are weapons,” Viko commented, his voice dropping to a cool tone. Yancy sighed.

“Read the destination,” he told him. Viko did so, and he finally hit his rage point.

“WHAT?!” he roared, tossing the papers away as he stared at Yancy, furious. “You would have us give weapons to them?! To the Storm?! After all we’ve been through, you would betray my trust like this?!” Yancy flinched back at the outburst before hardening his face.

“Hey, two years ago, you were trying to wipe my species off the face of the galaxy!” he snapped jumping up to jab a finger into Viko’s chest plate. “You have no right to be bitching to me about where these weapons go! Not to mention that there is nothing that those asswipes can to make us do this!”

In a flash, Viko had Yancy by the neck, the human’s body slammed uncomfortably against the wall. “Explain yourself, before I decide to end my debt to you right here,” Viko hissed. Yancy groaned as he rolled his eyes.

“Christ, you’re dense,” he spat before explaining. “Look, just because the manifest’s destination is Kamchata doesn’t mean I’m going to be stupid enough to take those guns there!” Viko looked at him for a moment before lessening his grip.

“...so, you intend to deliver these arms to the proper authorities?”

Yancy barked out a strangled laugh as Viko blinked in confusion. “The proper… fuck no! I mean, we go to Sanghelios and sell these things to the Arbiter! He’s more likely to at least pay us something, in addition to, you know, letting us live!” Viko blinked again, and without any warning, let go of Yancy, the human landing on the floor embarrassingly.

“You… are going to rip off the Storm Covenant, all for profit?”

Yancy rubbed his throat as through the window, Mr. Black approached a glass podium. “Well, yeah,” he replied, rolling his head. “Come on, just because I’m a greedy human shizno doesn’t mean I don’t have some standards.” Viko huffed as he shook his head, just as Mr. Black began to speak.

“My guests,” the sharp dressed human said, a sleazy grin on his face, “Welcome to my humble auction house! Now, for any of you who are new, well, the rules are simple. All bids are anonymous, and all sales are final. If you try to buy a piece of merchandise without the funds for it, well....,” from the sidelines, the same Brute that showed Yancy and Viko in stepped out, a hefty gravity hammer in his hands, “We will ensure that the matter is settled,” Mr. Black finished. “To bid, simply use the controls on your console, and the rest is self explanatory. Now, let us begin!”

The two mismatched miscreants looked at each other before Mr. Black’s form disappeared from sight, only for a spot light to illuminate someone else.

A young anthro fox femme, clad in strips of fabric that barely qualified as clothes, and cuffed to a pole.

“This lithe beauty is from the former paradise of Arcadia,” Mr. Black’s voice said from somewhere. “She knows how to cook a great many dishes, and is always a good bed companion. Bidding starts at ten thousand credits.”

Beside Yancy, Viko stared at the young woman in shock. “Yancy, what is this?” he asked in a shuddering whisper. Yancy gulped as on the mirror, the price of the poor girl jumped up to fifteen thousand, and then to twenty.

“Slave auction,” he whispered. “This is a fuckin’ slave auction!” He looked over at Viko, eyes widened. “Vik, please tell me you guys don’t do this,” he pleaded. Viko shook his head, mandibles curling inward in disdain.

“Never!” he commented, looking back at the door, “At the very least, not among the clans of my homeworld. Any who were caught enslaving their fellows were to be hung upside down by their entrails for a week or until they perished, whichever came first.” Yancy looked at his friend, and then hummed.

“Huh. Wish we did that back in the day. Might not have this problem anymore,” the human commented as he sat down, discreetly pulling his datapad out.

“Yancy? What are you doing?”

“Recording this,” Yancy replied, activating the pad’s camera app. “With any luck, once this is over and we can see people, we can hand this over to the proper authorities, and bring these bastards down!” Viko flinched at the near plasma hot conviction in Yancy’s voice.

“And yet you are willing to run guns to the highest bidder,” the alien warrior remarked.

“‘Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst,’” Yancy said, as if quoting one of his old field manuals. “‘Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and their freedoms.’ Starship Troopers, great book.”

Viko chuckled uneasily as he saw the auction for the vixen end, her final price thirty-five thousand credits. “And you know this why?”

Yancy shrugged. “Required reading in OCS. I got bored. Pretty good ideas for a six hundred year old book.”

“..you read six hundred year old books?”

“Vik, you read nineteenth century etiquette guides from Japan, you really have no place to criticize what I read.” The two of them fell into an uneasy silence as girl after girl was brought out and sold off to someone. Finally, Mr. Black stepped back out, a smile on his face.

“A wonderful display of goods, I must say,” he announced, “But, there is still one gem that you can have today, my good friends. Captured along the borders, and brought straight here under total secrecy, this little flower is sure to tantalize and empower those of you who buy it.

“My friends, Kese ‘Vadam!”

Yancy and Viko’s jaws dropped as the light revealed the last girl to be auctioned. She was obviously a Sangheili, only a scant foot taller than Yancy himself. Her light grey skin was glistening with sweat, and the shimmering, iridescent blue plumage of her ‘hair’ fell down and over her shoulders in waves as she looked up fearfully. The two of them looked at each other and nodded.

“Starting bids are at five hundred thousand credits,” Mr. Black began, and not a second later, Yancy slapped the button on the table, announcing his interest in Kese. “One for five hundred, going once, one for five fifty!” Yancy narrowed his eyes as he flexed his free hand. Two could play that game. Again, he tapped the console, meeting, and raising the price on the Sangheili hostage.

For two minutes, the barrage of prices went up. At some point, Yancy was aware that he and only one other had passed the two hundred and fifty million credit mark, but for once, he didn’t care. Behind him, Viko was bracing himself against the frame of the door, hand close to his weapons.

“Four hundred and twenty-five!” Yancy waited, finger tentatively over the button as he watched the price hike up.

“Four hundred and twenty-five, and now for four hundred and fifty!” Mr. Black declared with glee.

“Fuck you,” Yancy said to himself softly as he tapped at the console, and watched.

Mr. Black say the indicator of his stand go off, and he looked at it, stunned. “Fi-five hundred million, going for five hundred million credits!” the slaver said shakily. Yancy held his breath. “Going once… twice… sold, for five hundred million credits to Booth Nine!” Yancy sighed in relief as he checked with booth he was in.

Thank God, he was in Booth Nine.

“Now, that wraps up today’s auctions, and for our lucky winners of this slut here,” Mr. Black said, trailing a hand along Kese’s lower mandibles, “I have certain… conditions on accepting this morsel. One, that you do not tell anyone, even the damned Arbiter about her.” Yancy jerked back, Viko snarling in surprise. “Oh yes, I heard every word you two said in there. A little extra insurance you see. Now, my second condition. You deliver your goods to Kamchata, and this bitch with them!” Mr. Black added acidly, slapping Kese across her face. “Perhaps Jul ‘Mdama will be in a good mood and let you two live to fly away with your ship in mostly one piece!”

Viko growled lowly, pistol now firmly in his grasp. Yancy, for his part, went over to a tastefully hidden junction box inside the booth. “Yancy, what do we do?”

Swingingthe box open, Yancy looked over its contents before sighed before pinching a few of the wires. “Oh, the usual,” he said calmly before tugging the wires experimentally.

“Ah, so, as you humans say it, ‘blow shit the fuck up?’” Viko said with a predatory grin. Yancy chuckled.

“Dick, you always wanted to save a damsel in distress,” the human commented before he yanked the wires out, the box sparking angrily before the entire hall lit up in emergency lighting, sprinkler systems going off as the sound alarms went off shrilly.

Viko swiftly overcharged his pistol and fired it at the window, shattering it into pieces with the assistance of Yancy’s charging body. Tucking his limbs into a roll, the human sprang out of it with the ease of a practiced soldier as he nailed two guards in the head with his handgun with a bullet apiece. Behind him, Viko charged out of the booth with a below as the Brute swiftly recovered, moving to intercept the angry Sangheili. Mr. Black, on the other hand, was wholly unprepared for the fist that slammed into his chin, lifting him up into the air with a stream of blood flowing out of his mouth.

Viko was having the time of his life as he ducked under the Brute’s wild swing, free hand grabbing the hilt of his sword. Stepping just behind the overextended foe, he activated his blade, the blazing white blade of plasma hissing hungrily as the water from the sprinklers hissed and flash vaporized as they touched the blade. With a roar, the Brute twisted around to attack again, only for Viko to be waiting.

The Brute fell to the floor.

The hands holding the gravity hammer flew just by Viko’s head, landing somewhere behind him as the Brute finally cried out in agony as the burning, charred stumps of his arms broke his fall. The Sangheili glanced up and saw figures moving just in shadow. “Brother, we must hurry,” Viko stated as he fired a shot into the Brute’s face, silencing his cries.

Yancy grunted as unlocked the cuffs holding Kese to the pole, courtesy of the keys attached to the barely conscious Mr. Black’s belt. “We’re going to get you out of here!” he told her, taking her hand as he dragged her over to one of the fallen guards. “Oh thank God, something I can really use,” he said to himself as he retrieved the fallen MA37 and the magazines.

“Brother….”

“I’m good!” Yancy shouted as he led Kese over to Viko. “Now, let’s get the hell-”

BOOM!

“THIS IS THE MARS NATIONAL GUARD! YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST! ANY ATTEMPTS TO RESIST WILL BE MET WITH FORCE!” Viko looked over his shoulder to Yancy, who groaned in frustration.

“What in the hells is going on?!,” Kese asked finally, her eyes narrowing on the human in shock. Yancy looked at her with a stern look before tilting his head.

“Okay, this way!” he cried out, grabbing Kese. “Now shut up and follow us Princess!” Viko chuckled as he listened to his human casually insult and order a vassal of ‘Vadam into moving. Taking the rearguard, Viko kept pace with the two as they rushed into a nearby hallway. “Okay, there should be a way upstairs for shitstorms like this!” Yancy explained as Kese’s eyes lit up.

“Second to last door on the left!” she exclaimed. “They brought us in through there, I saw through my blinds!” Yancy and Viko nodded as they moved forward with Kese between them. A guard popped out of cover, only to be quickly cut down by Yancy. From a side hall, Kese spotted another one of the guards that had insulted her, this one a stocky Kig-Yar. Fortunately, a few plasma pistol bolts destroyed the Jackal’s shield, which left him wide open for another burst of lead from Yancy.

The assault rifle’s magazine clattered to the floor as Yancy reloaded, the trio making it to the door. “Okay, we get in, grab a ‘Hog, and haul ass!” Yancy said.

“Wait!” Kese snapped, eyes widening in confusion. “What kind of rescue is this? Where is the legion of warriors at your beck and call swordsman?!” Viko groaned in frustration as he checked behind them.

“Look Sweetcheeks, this ain’t a Sangheili rescue op, alright?” Yancy yelled as he opened the door, stepping in and sweeping the room as Viko came in behind him. “You got us, we got you, now shut up so we can fuckin-SWEET BUTTFUCK OF FUCKIN’ CHRIST!” he shouted as a sniper round just barely passed by his head. “Get down!” he cried out, ducking behind a storage container.

Viko and Kese followed suit, and the two Sangheili looked at each other. “Now, who are you?” Kese asked as more sniper rounds kept them pinned down.

Viko looked over at Yancy, who was inspecting the lock of the container. “This is Yancy Waller, my honor-brother,” the swordsman told her as he deactivated his blade. “I am Viko ‘Magamai, of the Keep ‘Magam. Now, Lady ‘Vadam, I have been away from my home too long. How fares my keep?” Beside him, Yancy picked the lock open and let out a cry of delight.

“Finally, some luck!” he cried out, pulling out a slightly battered M6/Nonlinear. Heaving it onto his shoulder, Yancy grinned wickedly as he pulled out a multitool, and began to fiddle with the internals for just a moment. Viko’s eyes bulged out of his head at the giant weapon.

“My Lady, get down!” he said, yanking Kese down to the ground with him as Yancy finished his work, popping out of cover. The cover to the Spartan Laser’s lens popped up.

The weapon whined. But only for two seconds.

And then Yancy was flung backwards from the explosive force of the laser snap heating the air in front of the aperture, the crimson beam slamming into the sniper’s nest and utterly destroying it. Standing up, both Kese and Viko gaped in stunned silence as Yancy got up on shaky legs. “Christ Almighty, that… was fucking AWESOME!” the human cried out with a shit eating grin. “Okay, time to go, come on!”

The two aliens looked at each other before moving to one of the ‘Hogs. But just as they reached it, Fergus appeared on the railing above them. “Yancy boy!” he bellowed out, “Don’t do nothing stupid, you hear me!”

Shooing Kese into the back of the covered civilian ‘Hog, Yancy showed Fergus with a single finger how much he was taking stock of Fergus’ implied threat. “And what about you, you feckin’ arsehole?! You were fuckin’ planning to sell innocent women as slaves, and you think I need a warn’ about doing stupid shit! Yer a fuckin’ hypocrite you are!” Beside him, Viko crouched down, pistol held out to keep an eye on the still visible door.

Fergus chuckled as he watched Yancy’s hand retreat behind the ‘Hog. “Well, sad to say, there ain’t exactly much you can do against me,” he said. “The local boys here belong to me, and the poor ONI sap that they sent to bring me in, well, let’s just say his skills are mine now.” Viko swore as he glanced back, seeing Yancy hiss in realization.

“And you’re telling me all this why?”

“Because Yancy-boy, I know what your ship is,” Fergus told him. “Once I get my shit put together, I bring you, your fookin’ split-lip freak, and the future whore with me, and I’ll make sure that ‘Mdama gets exactly what he wants! Now, what do ya say bairn? Up for the easy way, or do I hava beat the sense int’ye?”

“...I think you should go back to jackin’ tires you fucking cunt!” Yancy shouted out coldly as he gestured for Viko to get into the ‘Hog from the driver’s seat. Viko nodded as he squeezed past the human.

“Your mum said the same thing,” Fergus said, suddenly wistful. “Then she had that accident….”

Yancy felt his world slow down as the words Fergus spoke echoed in his mind. She had that accident… accident… Shaking in rage, Yancy let out a feral snarl as he snapped out of cover, finger pulling hard on the trigger as he roared in fury. “YOU FUCKIN’ BASTARD!”

Fergus ducked with a yelped as the stream of 7.62mm rounds snapped through the air where he had just been standing. As Yancy went to reload when the rifle clicked dry, Viko struck, grabbing the human’s vest before pulling him inside with a hard yank. “Yancy, we must go!” the Sangheili yelled as he shoved Yancy into the back of the modified scouting vehicle before he keyed the ignition. The Warthog roared as the engine revved itself too fast for normal, safe operation as Viko near immediately shifted it into gear and slammed his hoof onto the accelerator.

Behind him, Kese was busy trying to restrain the positively irate human. [Swordsman, what is wrong with him?] she asked Viko in Sangheili Trade Tongue. Viko swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle, the startled expressions of its occupants visible only for a moment before the swordsman sent their transport flying down the road.

[I know not my Lady!] Viko responded as he saw an opening for them to take and hide. [There are many things he does not tell me about his past, as there are many of mine he does not know! I am sorry!] Kese jerked her head to the side, barely avoiding an elbow to the face.

“Yancy!” Kese shouted into the human’s ear, making him flinch, “Calm yourself! The enemy is behind us!”

“Then let me off, that fucker has to pay!” he snarled, shaking his head to get the ringing out of his ears. “That bastard killed my mother, I know he killed her, just let me-!” Yancy would have likely continued had Viko not reached over and whacked the human upside the head. Yancy flew off to the side, his head knocking against the side paneling with a dull smack before he simply lay limp across the back seat, draped across Kese’s legs.

Kese looked at Viko, shocked. Viko merely sighed.

“He might thank me later,” he commented, keeping his focus on the road. “Right now, we need to hide, and… I know of a place where we can do so. But, it is not for the faint of heart.”

[And why is that, Swordsman ‘Magam?] Kese asked.

Viko sighed. [It is a den of… pleasures, as far as I know,] he responded after a moment. [It was formed late in the war, a place where former members of the Prophet’s Covenant would mingle with the humans in relative peace. The one who runs it is a scion of a rival of my clan, though I doubt they much care for her anymore, considering her chosen profession.]

[...Swordsman, you can call it a whore house,] Kese said after a moment, earning a shocked look from Viko. [Truth be told, I was about to ask one of the great courtesan houses for… training, before I was taken.] Kese looked away in shame. [A vassal of ‘Vadam, and I couldn’t even try to fight back.]

[My Lady, you are alive, and reasonably well,] Viko said as he drove onto the ‘backroads,’ which meant the old tunnels from various terraforming projects centuries ago. [Not all can be warriors, my Lady. Some of us…,] he added, looking back at Yancy, [Sometimes, we simply survive as best we can.]

Kese went silent at the statement as she leaned over to inspect Yancy’s head. [Will your human be healthy?] she asked, sifting through the oddly colored hair to spot any signs of trauma. Viko chuckled as his hearts finally began to calm down.

[Him? I wouldn’t worry too much my Lady,] he told her. [He’s tougher than he looks.] Kese continued to look down at Yancy before moving him to a move comfortable position, roughly sitting up. Yancy stayed upright… for a brief moment before falling to the side, his head landing right between Kese’s breasts. Looking in the mirror, Viko’s eyes widened in abject horror at the sight. “YANCY?!?”

“Erwurg?” Yancy mumbled, his eyes blinking as he regained consciousness. “‘Ik, wry ead ‘n illow?”

“Yancy,” Viko said, his voice strained as he clutched the steering wheel tightly, “Your head is not on a pillow. It is on the woman we are trying to save.” Yancy blinked, dazed as he finally looked up into Kese’s amber eyes, the Sangheili woman finally getting a good look at his mismatched and riveting eyes.

“...Vik, when did an angel get in the ‘Hog?” Yancy asked, a dumb smile growing on his face. “She looks beauuutiful.” Kese’s cheeks flushed as Viko eye twitched along time with the mandibles on the right side of his face.

“Yancy. Get. Your head. Off the Arbiter’s niece,” Viko warned as he turned into a dark tunnel, the way ahead barely visible even with his better vision. Yancy pouted as he slowly complied, bringing a hand to his head.

“Ah, fuck,” he hissed, closing his eyes as he sat up, “Umm, okay, so uh, awkwardness aside, where are we heading?”

“To her.”

Yancy moaned in exasperation, bumping his head against the seat. “Fuck. Do we have to?”

Viko sighed as Kese looked between the two of them. “Sadly, yes,” he answered. “She’s the only impartial member of your ‘underworld’ that I know of. I am certain that once we explain ourselves to her, we can rest and figure out what next to do.” Beside Kese, Yancy groaned again as he massaged his temples.

“Alright, well, are you sure we want to bring the princess there of all places?”

“Do we really have much of a choice, since your uncle knows of our ship?” Kese listened intently as her two rescuers debated, only for them to fall into an uneasy silence. “...Yancy, in the garage… why do you say that your uncle-”

“Viko, shut the fuck up,” Yancy cut in coldly. “I am not drunk enough, nor in the mood to begin with. And for your information, he’s not my uncle. Not anymore. Now please, for my sake, drop it.” He sighed as he fidgeted in his seat. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Kese gulped as she reached over slowly to the human’s shoulder. “Y-Yancy? Did you serve in your military forces?” she asked, trying to diffuse the situation. Yancy chuckled as Viko refocused on the road. The human closed his eyes as he tried to rest.

“Yeah, I did,” he answered. “UNSC Army Corps of Engineers. I worked on groundside fusion reactors. I was stationed on Earth when the Schism happened. That’s how I met Vik.” Said Sangheili turned, and Kese hissed at the sudden influx of light, only to gape at the sights and sounds of Mars’ underground. All around them were individuals of mixed species, mingling about as Viko slowed the ‘Hog to a crawl as he parked in a nearby alley.

“We walk from here,” Viko stated, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. “My lady, please stay close.” Kese merely nodded as Yancy checked his handgun before looking up at his friend, nodding. Together, the three of them departed the vehicle and soon entered the throngs of people. Kese’s senses were assaulted by the smells of cheap, greasy foods, the sounds of drunken revelers, and the none too enjoyable odor of various vices.

It was after nearly half an hour of walking, and Viko nearly roaring in a Jackal’s face for trying to cop a feel on Kese, that the three of them arrived at their destination. The entrance was guarded only by a lone Sangheili, but it was clear from the scars crisscrossing the bouncer’s hide that he was an experienced warrior. Taking the lead, Viko strode forward, offering a polite gesture of respect. [Greetings, honored brother,] Viko said, bowing his head. The bouncer glanced at him, eyeing each of them critically.

[We don’t accept threats of protection,] he said simply, making Kese flinch in surprise. [We have no need of your filth.] Viko bristled at the insult, but let it pass as he let out a breath to explain.

[We are not here to seek conflict, I swear on my blade,] he said, drawing the bouncer’s attention to the sword hilt. [My honor-brother and I… we seek an audience with your Mistress. Is she available?] The bouncer looked at Viko carefully before raising an arm up to his mouth.

[Mistress ‘Laram, I have a swordsman wishing to speak with you,] he said. They didn’t have to wait long for an answer, or at least, for the bouncer to wave them inside. [You may enter… but your weapons must remain at our entrance. Mistress ‘Laram makes no exceptions, even for swordsmen.] Yancy sighed as he pulled his handgun out slowly.

“Fuck,” he griped, stepping inside after Viko as they entered, the lilting notes of traditional Sangheili music seeped through the inner walls. “I was kind of hoping that we’d at least get to keep something on ourselves.” In front of him, Viko set his plasma pistol and his blade into a container, glaring at the bored Unngoy doorman.

“We shall see first what ‘Laram says,” he grumbled as he watched Yancy set his handgun inside the bin, placing his spare magazine inside as well. Beside them, Kese clasped her hands together, shaking in nervous energy as the two warriors finished disarming themselves.

“Are we ready to go in?” she asked. Viko and Yancy looked at each other, and huffed in unison. Without another word, the three went to the nearest of two doors, and stepped inside once it slid open with a silent hiss.

It was, for a interspecies strip club where anything could potentially start yet another war, quiet. The walls were a mixture of subdued purple hull plates and tastefully polished stone, reminiscent of the Keeps on Sanghelios. Amongst the scattered tables, few were sitting and drinking, and the single bar sitting alone in the middle of the vast room was crewed by a bored human bartender. But up on stage, Kese’s eyes widened in awe as a Sangheili dancer ducked and weaved around a pole, her body clad in thin, eye catching silks as the soft lights caught and shimmered on her fiery red plumage.

“...seven and a half,” Yancy commented, drawing Kese’s attention back to the present. Viko scoffed as he looked at the dancer.

“You are blind to true beauty,” he snapped back. “Clearly, she is a nine on your scale, if such a paltry thing could ever be applied to dancers of her caliber!”

“No, that’s the lack of pussy talking for you,” the human deadpanned as from a side door, a Kig-Yar with barely decent garments stepped forward, her small, pert breasts jiggling slightly with each step. She stopped several feet in front of them, bowing her head towards Viko.

“Honorable swordsman, I am Rin,” the Kig-Yar stated. “I am to bring you to Mistress Laram. Your associates may remain here and enjoy themselves.” Viko looked over to Kese.

“I am… honored, to meet your Mistress in person,” he replied, “But my business includes matters involving the Lady ‘Vadam beside me,” he added, gesturing to Kese. Rin looked at Kese dubiously, taking in her rather disheveled appearance.

“...that is a lady of ‘Vadam?” Rin asked, crossing her arms. “I have my doubts.”

Yancy groaned as he finally cut in. “Look, we just saved her from being sold off to the fucking Storm Covenant, alright?!” he snapped. “I’m absolutely sure, on what little honor I may possibly have, that if she was in proper regalia as befitting the princess’ station here, that she would be more than recognizable to you and your Mistress! And besides, she’s hiding from a shizno named Fergus Kincaid.” Rin’s eyes widened as she let out a startled squawk.

“Kinkaid?! What did you- nevermind that, swordsman, you may take her with you to speak with my Mistress! And you!” she snarled, whirling on Yancy, “You will stay right here where we can watch you! After all, Kincaid is not one to mess with!”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Yancy commented bitterly as he looked at Viko. “Look, I’ll hold the fort here while you talk with her. Hopefully she’ll be understanding.” Viko nodded as he led Kese forward, following Rin into the back of the establishment. Here, the walls were carved from a wood native to Viko’s homeworld, and the swordsman was suddenly struck with a pang of homesickness. Shaking his head, he huffed as the Kig-Yar finally stopped in front of a door.

“She awaits you inside,” Rin stated before stepping aside. Taking a deep breath, Viko pulled his shoulders back, stood up straight, and knocked on the door.

[Come in,] came he brisk reply, a soft, honeyed voice that coated a razor’s edge. Palming the activation glyph, Viko and Kese stepped across the now open threshold, and for a moment, it was as if Viko actually had gone back home. The burning sticks of incense to ward off spirits, the tapestries of the victories of the ‘Laram Keep, even the stunted tree with the violet leaves in the corner, all of it served to tug at Viko’s heartstrings as the two guests stopped respectfully in the middle of the room.

Stepping out from a side room, Zahe ‘Laram came into view. She was taller than Kese, almost by a full head, but just under Viko’s chin as she looked at the two of them with a calculating eye. Finally, she brushed a stray blue feather off her head as she walked closer to Viko. [You seem familiar Swordsman,] she said finally.

Viko nodded. [Aye. I am Viko ‘Magamai, of the Keep ‘Magam,] he told her. Zahe hummed in thought before sighing wistfully.

[Ah, you were my clan’s rivals to the east, were you not?] she asked. Viko nodded. Zahe’s face, once cold, now fell. [So, what brings a swordsman into my establishment? Surely you don’t need to be here to claim a woman.]

Viko ignored the jab at his masculinity as he politely gestured over to Kese. [Mistress Laram, may I introduce the Lady Kese ‘Vadam, niece to the Arbiter,] he said, keeping his head low. [My honor-brother and I-]

[You expect me to believe that this whelp is a relative to the Arbiter?] Zahe asked contemptuously. [She hardly looks refined enough to be kin to he, and I’ve seen many ‘refined’ ladies.]

Viko was about to speak when Kese finally snapped with a fury that, for the little time that Viko had been around the young woman, he thought was extremely unusual. [I was about to be sold as a SLAVE!] the young ‘Vadam yelled, her voice cracking as tears began to flow, [I was kidnapped by rebels, I was beaten, I was starved, I was mocked and insulted, and the only reason I am not currently on a transport to Kamchata is because of this swordsman and his battle-brother! I may not have the ‘refinement’ that you must be used to, but I will NOT let you SLANDER this warrior’s honor in front of my face!]

Viko looked between Kese and Zahe, edging a hoof in between the two women slowly. The Lady ‘Vadam he could pin down with little effort; the ‘Laram brothel mistress, on the other hand…. Lucky, Kese’s outburst had made Zahe laugh after a moment of stunned silence, the older woman’s laugh a lilting cry as she tossed her head back.

[Oh, I was mistaken!] she exclaimed, recovering from her laughing fit. [You must forgive me, most of the ‘Vadam line that I have serviced in my lifetime have all been, well, more assertive than most! Know that I meant no offense Lady ‘Vadam.] Kese shook in frustration, but bowed her head nonetheless.

[I… am not offended,] she replied, taking deep breathes to calm down. [It has been an eventful day for me so far.] Zahe chuckled, and then frowned as she took a look at the rags on the younger Sangheili.

[Well, we cannot have you looking like that, not in my establishment,] she said, her voice firm. [I have some robes in my closet, one or two of them should fit you. I shall be close by if you need help little one.] Kese nodded in thanks as she hurried off into one of the rooms behind Zahe, the Mistress looking back at Viko. [How did you find her?]

[As she said, she was being sold as a slave,] Viko answered. [My honor-brother outbid the others with the credits we had just received from our latest job, and from there, we tried to escape. There are some… complications, however,] he admitted, slumping in annoyance.

[What kind of complications?]

[The man who was going to sell Lady ‘Vadam… is my honor-brother’s uncle, his name is Fergus.] Zahe flinched, shocked.

[Fergus?! Fergus Kincaid?!] she cried out. [Why would you ever involve yourself with that filth?!] Viko huffed defensively as he glared at her.

[It wasn’t by choice!] he retorted. [We had delivered a package to his lackeys, and we were forced to stay longer than we wanted! Fortune above only knows how lucky we were that we had the payment from our last job with us, otherwise, I don’t know what we would’ve had to do to save her!] Zahe crossed her arms, mouth closed in thought as she looked at Viko intently.

[...as a member of a rival keep, I shouldn’t trust you,] she said finally, letting out a deep breath. [But, as one who has had to survive these past few years, I find myself believing your story. I have a terminal that connects to friends I have on Sanghelios. I can contact them, and from there, I may have an audience with the Arbiter, if he is not busy.] A moment later, and Kese finally stepped into view, her gaze downcast as she looked over to Zahe in trepidation.

Viko glanced over to her, only to blink in astonishment at her. [My lady, you look… far better,] he proclaimed politely, nodding his head to her as Zahe smiled with a matronly fondness.

[Indeed little one, that dress fits you perfectly!] she said, moving over closer to inspect Kese’s choice of garb more closely. [If you were already a trainee in the Companion’s Guild, well, you’d certainly have no shortage of men pining for your affections! After all, all of this merely serves to show the beauty you already have!] she added, stopping in front of Kese and raising her chin up with a finger.

[Are… are you certain, Mistress?] Kese asked hesitantly. Zahe chuckled.

[Of course I am child. I have not been a Companion for as long as I have to not know. In fact, consider it a gift from a scion of House ‘Laram,] Zahe told her before narrowing her eyes. [But first, let’s get these unsightly blemishes off, or at least hidden for now. Swordsman, if you would be so kind as to watch the door for me? I have business to attend to with the young lady here.]

Viko bowed his head. [As the Mistress of the House wills it,] he answered, turning around to watch the door intently.

Turning back, Zahe gently took one of Kese’s arms in hand. [Now, let’s make you more presentable. Now, you said you wanted to become a Companion, yes?]

[][][]

When Kese finally stepped back out into the main room, the stage was currently occupied by three dancers, one human and two Kig-Yar, and there were certainly more people in now that she assumed regular business hours were done. But, thankfully, she was only looking for one person at the moment, and she quickly spotted the mop of dyed hair in the low light of the club.

Yancy, for his part, had a drink in his hand, and, more importantly, he was downing it like a true warrior. He slammed it down on the table in front of him, just as Kese arrived. “Yancy?”

Glancing over, the human noticed that Kese had been dressed in something that, had a human or a fur wore it, would have looked absolutely gaudy. But the silver and blue kimono-like garment, tied together with a royal purple sash, helped to accentuate the young Sangheili’s hair. “Yea, whadda ya want?” he slurred, gesturing to the bartender for a another drink. Gulping, Kese sat down next to him, her eyes taking in his flushed skin and dilated pupils.

“H-How much have you imbibed already?” she asked tentatively. Yancy sighed as he pushed his glass away.

“No’ere near ‘nuff,” he grumbled. “What’d Zahe have to say?”

“She’ll let us stay for a few days,” Kese replied as a male Kig-Yar approached the table, a drink in hand. “She… she has offered to begin teaching me how to a Companion.”

“Well, tha’s good I’ges.”

Kese looked away, her expression unsure. “...why do you hate him so much? Your uncle I mean?” Yancy’s drink was halfway to his lips when the question finally registered in his brain.

“...I don’ like talk’n ‘bout it.”

Kese sighed as she looked back at the drunk. “Please?” she pleaded. “Whatever qualm you have with him, you must tell someone, else you’ll… you’ll….”

“I’ll what?” Yancy snapped angrily, glaring at his drink. “You think I don’t know how messed up I am?” he asked her, sobering up a little bit. “You think I don’t know that what I do with Vik is illegal? That I own a ship that is currently worth more as salvage than an actual ship? Or that my family is all sorts of fecked up? Yeah, I know Princess, and guess what, right now, there ain’t shit I can do to change it!” Kese looked at Yancy, stunned as he breathed heavily, panting from his semi-drunken rant before he slumped in his seat, head resting on his arms.

Looking around, Kese waved over Rin, the Kig-Yar looking at Yancy with narrowed eyes. “Yes?” the Jackal asked.

“Is there a way that he and I can use one of those rooms over there?” Kese asked, pointing to one of the closed off sections of the club. Rin looked at her, confused before she looked at Yancy and grinned.

“Well, since Mistress ‘Laram has decided to let you stay…,” she hummed, stroking the underside of her beak in mock thought, enjoying the sight of the nervous Sangheili squirming in her seat, “I suppose I can let you use one of the rooms. Better than throwing him out on the streets to sober up.”

“I ‘erd ‘hat,” Yancy mumbled as Kese leaned over and lifted him up off the table. “‘Ey! I cen stand!” he griped as she carefully hauled him into a room, Rin grinning the whole way as the much smaller female led the way. A few curious, and envious, patrons wolf-whistled as Kese passed by, much to the Sangheili’s embarrassment… and growing pride. Stepping in, Kese looked around and took in the ‘small’ table, surrounded by a single long, low backed and padded seat.

“Thank you,” Kese said to Rin, depositing Yancy on the soft, almost downy seat where in less than a moment, soft snores could be heard from the drunken human. Rin giggled, an odd sound from a Kig-Yar that, to anyone from the UNSC, would have reminded them of a corvid cackling in amusement.

“Don’t mention it!” Rin laughed before waltzing out, engaging the room’s privacy barrier. Sitting down close by, Kese realized just how tired she was from the day’s ordeals. Looking about the ‘room,’ she tried to find anything resembling a blanket or sleeping fur before sighing defeat. Her uncle would often sleep generally where he stood, oft times still clad in his heavy armor. She would see if she could do the same.

Kese was asleep in seconds after she closed her eyes.

[][][]

ONI Black Site

Mars

“Look, Kincaid, I’m sifting through every camera feed within fifty miles, and I’m telling you, it’s a shitload of data!”

ONI Agent Ben Grimm was not having a good day. Between making sure that his higher ups in ONI didn’t catch wind of what he was doing, actually trying to do his job as an intelligence analyst on what criminal groups he actually could study, and otherwise working as a lapdog for one Fergus Kincaid, there wasn’t much room for stress relief on his end. Today’s newest fiasco ended up topping the worst of it all, what with Fergus suddenly accelerating his newfound weapons shipping schedule ahead of time, and having him search for three individuals, on a planet of millions.

“Benny, you know I don’t fuck around,” Kincaid warned as heavy loaders moved in the background noise. “I don’t care how you do, but I want those three found, and I want them found now!”

“Yeah, and I don’t get why you’re bent out of shape over a discharged soldier and a pair of split-chins,” Ben retorted as a pair of ONI files finally pulled up on his aging terminal. “Because really, these guys are… oh.”

“Oh? Oh what Benny boy?”

“Whoever this ‘Specialist Waller’ is, he’s apparently retired UNSC Army Corps of Engineers, formerly of the 244th Battalion, with a specialization for groundside fusion generators. Discharged with honors back in February of ‘53, name registered to an old junker called the ‘Lazy Day,’” Ben said, reading the files. “As for the Sangheili, well, apparently Viko ‘Magamai is a swordsman, pretty good one all things considered. Apparently met with Specialist Waller back on Earth during the Battle of San Bernadino, but the interesting part is that ‘Magamai’s homeworld is basically fucked, it got raided by Brutes last year, no survivors.”

“Ah, I dun’ feckin’ care about some feckin’ backwater, just tell me where they are!”

Ben repressed the urge to groan in anger. “And I won’t know until-!”

Ding!

“Hold that thought,” Ben said over Kincaid’s angered stammering as his software zoomed in on a blurry video feed, timestamped several hours ago. He saw a human with two Sangheili, and that human looked just like….

“Okay, I found your missing people. They’re over at the Slice of Purgatory club, down in the Stew Pot.”

“Good. Thank you Benny boy, you’ve been a great help to me,” Kincaid said before finally hanging up. Ben sighed as he tapped the screen, bringing up the TACMAP of the region.

“Romeo-Five Lead, you have targets,” he said to the team leader of the local ‘housekeeping’ team. “Targets are located at Slice of Purgatory, forwarding target files to you now. Good luck, one of them is a swordsman.”

“Rules of engagement?”

Ben gulped as he closed his eyes. “Alive at any costs. Take care with the Sangheili, we’d prefer not to start another war here.”

“Understood sir. Moving out.” Closing the screen, Ben sighed as he leaned back, plopping down in his dilapidated chair.

“God forgive me,” he muttered to himself as he checked the feeds on the mixed-species gentleman’s club that the three targets had holed up in.

[][][]

Viko panted in exhaustion, the training dummy that his host kept in her small abode battered by his strikes. Off to the side, Zahe stood, head hung low. She had, after sending Kese out and messeging her friend, told Viko a terrible truth.

The Banished had found their homeworld, and now, it was little more than a burnt husk drifting through space, with no survivors known.

Finally stepping back, Viko took only a few steps before he slumped against the wall, trembling. [All this time,] he muttered, [And I thought that I was redeeming my clan.] His face twisted in a snarl as the warrior drove a fist into the wall, splitting the skin on his knuckles even more. [Now I have nothing!]

Zahe slowly approached him, a roll of cloth in her hand. [‘Magamai? If I may?] she asked, gesturing to his hands. Viko slumped, sitting on the floor, but wordlessly holding his hands out for her. Nodding her thanks, Zahe kneeled down and started wrapping them, watching the indigo blood seep slowly through the stark white fabric. [There was a time where I wished to be the first swordswoman in our people’s history,] she said quietly after a few minutes.

Viko flicked his gaze to her before looking away. Sighing, Zahe continued. [I told my mother this, and do you know what she said? She said to me, ‘We are women, Zahe. We will never be swordsmen, it is not our way.’] She paused, causing Viko to look over and see Zahe with her eyes closed, a tear forming at the corner. [So, I became a Companion. I became, well, let’s face it, little more than a common whore, but, I tried to take pride in it. It was something I was good at. But now, after all this time….]

[You wish for more?] Viko asked, cocking his head to the side. Zahe nodded.

[Yes,] she replied. [I’ve only known how to be a Companion, how to train and manage others like me. But I… I still want more. I want to be among the stars again. I… want….]

Slowly, tentatively, Viko reached over and lifted Zahe’s head up, gently making her look at him. [Mistress ‘Laram, I am no longer Viko ‘Magamai,] he told her, looking into her eyes. [With no clan to bring honor to, I have no reason to be a swordsman any longer. However, I do believe that, in light of your pain, and mine, that… perhaps, we can let our clans rest in the past. At least, perhaps only for a night?]

[Is that truly your best attempt at wooing a woman into your bed?] Zahe teased, a small smile cracking her mandibles. Viko chuckled as he felt himself stir under the confines of his armor.

[Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve had to rise to a challenge of wooing a fine woman,] he shot back. Zahe looked away bashfully as Viko rose to his feet, hand held out to help her up. [I must ask, do you want this?]

[What do you mean, noble warrior?] Zahe asked as she was pulled up by the Sangheili warrior’s much more developed physique. Viko took a deep breathe.

[Do you truly want us to… lay together?] he asked again, looking her straight in the eye. [I have nothing to offer. I have no honor, no clan with mighty deeds. My only claim is a world that no longer exists.]

[And from what I’ve seen,] Zahe commented, silencing Viko, [Is that you severely lack pride in yourself. You are a fine warrior. When the Schism tore the Covenant apart, you decided to repent for your sins and help the ones we nearly drove into destruction. You have an honor-brother who, while certainly a crass individual, has a code of honor hidden from the world.] Zahe smiled. [And the two of you are risking everything you have left to help a girl you’ve never met.]

[She was about to suffer, and we couldn’t let that happen,] Viko stated as Zahe started walking towards him, herding him into her bedroom. [And the Ancestors would attest, that anyone would have done the same.]

[No, they wouldn’t have,] Zahe said, driving him into her room finally. [You do not need titles, Lord ‘Magam, to be a hero. And to answer your original inquiry,] she added, reaching behind her back, [The answer,] her arm came back into view, the end of her waist sash clutched in hand, [Is yes.] She pulled the sash fully off, and rolled her shoulders.

Viko was now distinctly uncomfortable as his gaze devoured the sight of Zahe’s nude form fully. Despite being shorter than he, she had a more filled out body, with curves that implied a number of children she bore, and her breasts, while certainly drooping just slightly, were still enticingly plump and firm. Suddenly, Viko chuckled, earning a confused look from Zahe. [Something amuses you?]

Viko smirked as he quirked a mandible playfully at her. [The spots on your skin,] he told her. [I find them, as the humans and furs call it, ‘cute.’] Zahe blushed, brushing the tip of her thumb across the top of her breasts, drawing Viko’s eyes to them.

[The humans call them freckles,] Zahe explained, a grin slowly forming as she sashayed over to the opposite wall. [Many before you never even noticed them. Why do you?] Viko shrugged.

[I blame my honor-brother.]

Zahe’s grin grew even more. [Then perhaps I can repay him later,] she quipped, before looking him over. [But, before we proceed, you may want to… make yourself more presentable.] Viko blinked before he happened to glance down, rolling his eyes.

[Well, if the lady wishes then,] he retorted playfully, reaching over to his shoulder to begin unlocking his armor before he stopped, the scales on the back of his neck itching. Zahe took note of the suddenly still warrior, and furrowed her brow.

[What is wrong?]

[Danger,] Viko stated simply as his arousal died instantly, just as a muted explosion echoed throughout the building.

[][][]

Yancy awoke to a pounding head, a dry throat, and the unmistakable urge to pee. Shaking his head, he groaned, holding his head as he opened his eyes, expecting everything to be far too bright for his hungover senses. Yet, thankfully, whatever room he had found himself in was fairly dark, only a few dull violet lights in the ceiling lighting the small room as his pillow rose and fell behind him… wait. Why was the pillow breathing?

Slowly, Yancy looked behind him and froze as he saw Kese’s sleeping form behind him. Then as he glanced down, he realized that considering the average height discrepancy between an average human and Sangheili, his head was now nestled right between her boobs.

‘...Well, it’s not the worst way to go,’ he thought to himself as he glanced down, noticing that she had him locked in a firm hold against her body. Not sure what to do, Yancy decided to go with the simple solution and tap one of her arms with a free hand. “Kese? Miss ‘Vadam? ...Princess?”

Kese giggled sleepily as she cracked an eye open, looking down at the flustered human. “Why do you call me that?” she asked him, a smile on her face.

“Uuugh,” Yancy moaned in confusion as he tried to answer the question in way that wasn’t going to possibly kill him. Or add to his hangover. Or knowing his recent string of luck, both. “Well, I mean, you’re related to the Arbiter, so, umm, you know, he’s basically like, Sangheili royalty or whatever, and well, you’re his niece, so, uh, that, you know, umm, makes you like, royalty too, you know?” he answered, much to Kese’s amusement.

She hummed in thought as she brought Yancy closer to her, forcing Yancy’s head deeper in her cleavage, and his reddened face to go flush even more. “...we do not have royalty, not as you humans and furs seem to have,” she said after a moment. “From the time we are born, to when we die, we have to fight for where wish to be in our society. Our family may help guide us, but ultimately, each Sangheili must choose their own Path and travel it alone.”

Yancy looked over to the glowing privacy door, his face scrunched in contemplation. “...sounds lonely. And depressing,” he commented, willing a certain part of his anatomy down before his warm, soft, and beautiful….

Oh God. He was going to be so many kinds of fucked if her hand went down just nine inches.

Kese sighed. “It can be,” she admitted. “Depending on what path I chose, the pressure to excel because of the name of my Keep would have driven me to dishonor them. Still, I do not know I am.” She paused, letting a silence fall between the two of them before she spoke again. “Yancy, why do you hate your uncle?”

“What is it with you Sangheili and uncles?” Yancy asked in defeat, and he hung his head limply on Kese’s left breast.

“Our fathers are, for most of us, unknown to us, so as not to show favoritism. Is it not the same for you?”

Yancy shook his head. “Nah, I knew my old man. Used to be a soldier, fighting against a whole load of Innie cells before I was born,” he replied. “Anyhow, he retired with honors and settled down with my mom here on Mars. I was actually born here. He taught me how to throw a punch, and he always smelled like sweat and cordite after a shift at the factory. Then… then he got involved with Fergus, and… he disappeared. The last thing I remember he did was tuck me into bed, and… telling me that he loved me.” Kese listened intently, wondering where Yancy was going with his story.

“That was when I was… nine or ten, I think. The War was only about four years in when Fergus moved in with Mom and I. He… I, started running with the wrong crowd,” Yancy continued. “I started running contraband for him when I was fourteen, and I would get in trouble with the cops every other month or so. Drove my mom nuts until we finally had a screaming match with each other when I was sixteen.” Yancy paused, trying to compose himself.

“It… that was the last time I saw her alive. I stormed out of the flat, and I was thinking how my life had seemed so unfair. I mean, I had lost my father, and Fergus was trying to help the family, or so he told me, so why did she have to make me try and straighten out my life? I… I…,” Yancy added, tearing up before finally breaking down, sobbing. “I told her that I hated her! What kind of son does that? I wish that I didn’t, and that she’d still be alive, or that I told Fergus no, or anything! I just….”

Kese hugged the crying human, letting his tears flow and stain her sleep crumpled robes as Yancy let out years of pain for what was likely the first time in a long while. His sobs started letting up after a while, and Kese took that moment to speak. “Yancy?”

“Ehm?”

“...I think your mother would be proud of what you’ve done now with your life,” she said. “You gave up a fortune to save me.”

“I was going to use that money to repair my damn ship,” Yancy admitted. “And I was going to take the shipment of guns that my feckin’ uncle wanted taken to Kamchata to your uncle and sell them to him. Believe me, I highly doubt that my mother, may she rest in peace, would be happy with what her son has done with his life.”

“And I currently have in my arms a man who chose to do something noble,” Kese countered. “If it were anyone but you and your honor-brother, I would’ve been sold as a slave, no questions asked.”

Yancy humphed in disbelief. “Nah, people like me are a dime a dozen,” he said. “The heroes you’re looking for? They ain’t me.” Kese shook her head as she finally sat up, letting go of the human.

“You… are a better, and far more honorable human than you think and believe yourself to be,” she told him, catching the furtive glance Yancy had at her partially disrobed breasts. “Can I tell you something?”

“Umm, yeah, go breas-I mean, umm, right ahead,” Yancy stammered, his face going almost comically red as Kese smiled softly at him.

“You see, being a ‘Vadam, I was always being offered suitors,” she continued. “So many men with an over-inflated sense of themselves. So much arrogance, so much… stupidity. And then I hear about humanity, and the furs that fought with them. Species that fought the Covenant, without honor, and yet…,” She paused, placing a hand over Yancy’s chest, leaning forward to give the human a tantalizing glimpse down her robe, “And yet, I found that endearing. To know that you face an opponent far better than you, and to keep fighting regardless. My uncles called it foolish. I call it noble. And to have a race known to us as being nearly worst than the Kig-Yar in terms of honor save me, well… perhaps my uncles were wrong.”

Yancy could only gape at the blatant flirtation that Kese was saying towards him, his eyes moving over to the Sangheili’s free hand as it travelled over her chest, her fingertips catching just on the edge of her loosened robes. Kese herself let her eyes travel down his still body, settling for a moment on the conspicuous bulge in his pants. “Umm, look, uh, Kese, I mean, uh, Lady ‘Vadam, I’m uhh, like, really flattered but really, I’m uh, like, the WORST person you want to get it on with!” he pleaded as Kese gently shifted them over to where she was now straddling his lap. “I mean, like, look, you’re a princess, I’m a dishonest shizno, it just wouldn’t woor-oh.”

Kese, having pinned down the human, sensually rolled her shoulder, her robe cascading down her body with all the grace of a waterfall, revealing herself in all her splendor to Yancy’s panicking eyes. Now, with her firmly on top of him, Yancy was forced to look at her not as a rescue, but as a desirable partner. For a Sangheili, she had slim, slender legs that connected and curved into a tight, taut ass. Said ass blended perfectly into a set of hips that would have made most women in the UNSC cry out in jealousy as Kese started to grind herself against Yancy.

“You complain this much when a woman asks for your companionship?” Kese asked huskily, leaning in to inhale Yancy’s lustful sweat. Yancy gulped hurriedly as his face came far too perilously close to her pert, handful sized breasts, each shining already with a light sheen of sweat.

“Umm, well, see, uh, most gals aren’t-WOAH!” Yancy eeped as one particularly vigorous grind almost made him blow a load. “Well, most ain’t as high in class as you are and-canyoupleasegetoffbeforeIlosemyfuckin’mind?!” Kese paused, letting Yancy let out a sigh of relief… all before she scooted down, hand way to close to the hem of his pants for comfort. “...oh God,” he murmured with widened eyes as a fingertip tugged at the tough fabric.

“I hope to be a courtesan, my rescuer,” Kese whispered shakily, eyes hazing over in lust. “We are a class all to ourselves.” Yancy would have tried to debate the point even more with her in an effort to simply get OFF had the hairs on the back of his neck not stood on end. “...Yancy?”

“Princess, get down,” Yancy said coolly as suddenly, all hell broke loose outside.

[][][]

ONI Blacksite

Ben watched the six helmet camera monitors closely as the terminal next to him, outdated even by the standards of UEG bureaucracy, struggled to open up the surprisingly heavily encrypted files on Specialist Waller. The members of ONI team Romeo-Five were the best that could be diverted to Mars… five years ago. Now, they functioned less as ONI’s clean up crew, and more as Kincaid’s elite lap dogs, much to Ben’s reluctance and despair. The mixed species team consisted of two wolves, a bear, a house cat, and two humans who absolutely hated each other… but hated the Covenant more.

“Watchman, this is Spectre-1, approaching mission site,” Romeo-Five’s leader whispered into his helmet’s mike. Ben gulped silently as he spoke.

“Confirmed. You are free to engage, over,” he said. On the screens, the team advanced, the solitary Sangheili bouncer standing watch by the entrance. Romeo-Five’s resident marksman, Spectre-5, took aim with a suppressed SRS99-S5CQ and fired, the 14.5x114mm round blowing a plate sized hole in the alien’s chest.

“Hehe, scratch one Split-Lip fucker,” Spectre-5 commented savagely, the human switching the rifle out for an optic-less DMR. Ben tuned out the resulting chatter as the terminal beeped, finally finishing its decryption. Shifting his gaze, he barely paid any attention to the team killing the Grunt doorman, and of them prepping a flashbang as he read Waller’s profile.

Name: Waller, Yancy M.

Serial: 85729-4628-YW

Rank: Specialist

DOB: 12-09-2519

Honors: Nuclear Operations, Military Parachutist, Orbital Drop -

“Oh fuck…,” Ben murmured in dawning horror as the flashbang went off, Romeo-Five piling into the nightclub as they opened fire on the clientele. “Spectre-1, this is Watchman, target is ODST qualified, I say again, the primary target is an ODST!”

“Say again Watchman?” Spectre-3 asked, annoyed as she gunned down a Kig-Yar server. Ben was about to snap as he saw a flicker of movement in her camera.

“Spectre-3, hostile on-!” he stammered, just her head shook, and then violently twisted to the side, a sickening snap sounding just before Spectre-3’s vitals flatlined. And that was when, to Ben’s mounting horror, it started to go downhill. Waller grabbed Spectre-3’s SMG, flicked off the safety, and opened fire on Spectre-4, the armor piercing rounds impacting and digging into the flesh of the massive bear. The rest of the team turned to focus on Waller, each of them aiming their weapons at him.

Waller’s Sangheili associate chose that moment to charge out of a side hall, the giant, near eight foot tall warrior slamming into Spectre-2, the feline being no match mass wise for the enraged alien. Waller tossed Spectre-3’s body off, and took aim at Spectre-4’s visor.

The bear fell to the ground shortly thereafter.

The Sangheili had grabbed Spectre-2, and with a roar, threw her at Spectre-5, knocking both of them to the ground. Spectre-6, armed with the shotgun, decided to try and engage the greater of the two threats. The Sangheili roared, charged, and locked himself into a struggle for the shotgun in the wolf’s grasp.

“This cannot be happening,” Ben whispered to himself as he stepped away from the screens, his face paling as the ONI trained team was beginning to be systematically wiped out. Waller took aim and fired on Spectre-6, distracting the wolf long enough for the Sangheili to wrench the shotgun out of his grasp and fire, turning his chest into fine confetti.

“Spectres, fall back!” Spectre-1 ordered in panic, the wolf scrambling to get the hell out as the Sangheili racked the slide of the shotgun.

Ben pushed a button, and the screens flickered off.

He looked down at his hands, and then back up to look at another screen showing Kincaid’s men loading goods onto a pod near the Deimos Elevator. Ben gulped, pulled up a word processing document, and began typing. He finished a few minutes later, and saved the document. Slowly, he walked out of the cramped control room and into the small armory, where he picked out a handgun.

He picked up a single loaded magazine, and thumbed the rounds out until only one remained.

Silence.

BANG!

[][][]

Yancy and Viko glared at the sole surviving field agent, arms crossed. Glaring back at them, Spectre-1, known otherwise as Gunnery Sergeant Marcus Brooks, snarled. “Neither of you are getting shit from me,” he spat, taking note of the two female Sangheili moving behind the two of them.

“Look asshole, it’s not that hard,” Yancy said coldly. “You tell us where you came from, and you’ll only be facing jail time. Hell, we’ll even neglect to mention how you’re an ONI butt-monkey, and that’ll be that. Otherwise, we’re going to get creative.”

“Fuck you!” Brooks snarled, scowling in defiance. Behind him, Zahe kneeled over the Unngoy doorman, her body trembling.

“He was a loyal servant to my House,” she said quietly to Kese as she looked back angrily at Brooks. “And many lying here dead are my family. Know that compared to what those two will do to you, I will be worse, assassin.” Brooks sneered.

“Yeah right,” he snorted. “You’re all fucking whores, what can you possibly-”

*PUNCH!!!*

Brooks howled in anguish as he held his muzzle, knowing that something was now broken and loose; most likely teeth. Still, the right cross that Yancy threw was powerful enough to knock Brooks off the chair he was sitting on and onto the floor, and earn an appreciative look of awe on Kese’s face. “Okay then, hard ball it is,” Yancy commented before looking at Viko. “Viko, get him on a table. Mistress ‘Laram, can you escort Lady ‘Vadam elsewhere please? This is a matter of business I’d rather not expose her to,” he added, rolling his shoulder as Viko disdainfully tossed Brooks onto a nearby table.

Zahe nodded simply, gently taking Kese by the arm and leading her outside of her once neutral establishment.

“Mistress ‘Laram, what will they do to him?” Kese asked. Zahe snorted as the two of them passed the doorway, the sliding doors hissing shut behind them.

[Young One, do they still interrogate prisoners in the old ways on Sangheilios?] Zahe asked. Kese gulped nervously.

[Y-Yes my Mistress,] she answered. [The Kaidon still observes some of the old ways. They, in his words, ‘still work.’] Zahe smiled grimly as she and her young charge stopped out in the street, the surviving members of her small establishment and clientele milling about in a daze. Suddenly, a shrill cry of terror and agony pierced the air, snapping everyone’s attention to the doors where Zahe and Kese now stood.

“We have suffered,” Zahe stated loudly, holding her head high as more screaming came from behind her. “A coward has sent assassins, individuals who have no honor, and no soul. Hours ago, two souls brought this girl to safety, knowing full well how my wrath can be.” Zahe chuckled as a few prior patrons fidgeted uneasily. “But these two have done nothing but strive to bring peace among us the best way they know. Now, they seek to know who was responsible for this atrocity, and know this! They have my support! Who here shall stand with me?”

Most of the clients hung their heads, not wanting to get involved, but of those that looked Zahe straight in the eye, most of them were decidedly Kig-Yar and Sangheili, with a few humans who stayed around, looking grim. Zahe pressed her mandibles together as she took a deep breathe. “Good. As my home is now currently unusable for the foreseeable future, there is not much I can do. However,-” Zahe was interrupted as Yancy stepped outside, a feline dick dildo in his hands.

“Mistress ‘Laram, my associate and I have business to attend to,” he said simply, cracking his neck. Kese distantly noted that the dildo had some blood on it. “If there are any who are interested… he’s all yours,” he added, tossing the dildo over to Rin, looking at Kese. “Princess, stick with her, and stay safe. If Vik and I don’t return in an hour, head straight to the nearest UNSC Army garrison, tell them that Specialist Waller sent you, and that you need to speak with whoever is on top of the chain of command,” he ordered.

“And what of you? Do you know who did this?” Zahe asked coldly. Viko took that moment to step outside, just as Rin and a few other Kig-Yar went in.

“I can give you three guesses, but you’ll only need one,” Yancy replied as the swordsman handed Yancy his handgun, as well as a few other weapons. Zahe growled in cold fury as she snapped her head at Yancy.

“Your kin did this?!” she snapped. “Why?!” Yancy’s face went cold as he swapped out the magazine of the M7S.

“Because, he needed someone with the access codes to my ship,” he said simply. “That, and with my prior training as a nuclear reactor specialist, that means he also thinks I can turn my ship’s reactor into a big fuckin’ bomb.” Behind them, a fresh round of agonized screaming began. “Kese would have been brought in alive, because, well, let’s face it, the Storm Covenant would love nothing more than to embarrass the Arbiter in the worst way.” Yancy paused, and sighed. “I don’t expect you to trust me, and God knows how much shit I’ve done since I was fourteen that I can’t erase. But Fergus crossed a line, someone’s got te stop him. Might as well be his own kin that does it,” he added.

“...then I’m coming with you,” Kese said quietly, drawing a sharp look from Zahe. “I… I am a scion of ‘Vadam. This man has stained my honor,” she added, standing as straight as she could. “I would like to regain it.”

“My Lady, your honor was never in doubt,” Viko stated as a fresh round of screams came from inside the building. “But you are not a fighter. Not like us.” Kese glared up at Viko as he paused.

“Why? Because I’m a woman?!” she snapped.

“No Princess, it’s because we aren’t going to let you stain your honor by doing this,” Yancy said, loud enough to grab the three Sangheili’s attention. “Look, the two of us,” he continued, pointing at himself and Viko, “We have no honor. Well, I don’t at any rate. Honor aside, what we’re going to do is the kind of shit that, if you’re lucky, only lands you a few years in prison. At worst, ONI finds you, and then you disappear. You….,” he paused, looking away from Kese bashfully, “You don’t deserve a fate like that. So please, stay safe and… don’t worry. We’ll make sure you get home.”

Kese felt her hearts flutter as Viko rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Rest assured my Lady, we will return victorious,” he declared stoically before looking to his honor-brother. “Ready?”

“Age before beauty,” the human shot back glibly as the two of them turned to leave. Setting her face in stone, Zahe took a step forward, stopping Viko in place with a hand on his shoulder. He paused, looking back at her.

[Return with honor, swordsman, or none at all,] Zahe demanded simply. Viko blinked, and then nodded with a faint smile.

[As you will it,] he replied. Zahe stepped back, and watched as the two wandered off, each of them armed for war. The moment the two were out of earshot, Viko glanced at Yancy. “You she likes you.”

“Hmm?” came Yancy’s grunt as the human pulled out a ‘pad, looking up the coordinates of the ONI safehouse the kill squad had been stationed in. Viko huffed good humoredly as he gently prodded the human in the direction of their ‘borrowed’ ‘Hog.

“Yancy, I know you well enough to know when you like someone,” the Sangheili continued. “So, once this is over, go to her. I am certain she will enjoy your company.” Yancy shook his head, laughing bitterly.

“Yeah, well, it won’t work out,” Yancy griped as they hopped into the vehicle. “Look, you know me Vik, I’m an asshole, alright? I… don’t have any respect for most authority figures, not anymore, and I lie, cheat, and sometimes steal to survive. You honestly think that the Arbiter, the most powerful figure in Sangheili politics, is going to let any member of his family have relations with a guy like me? Get real. You have a much better chance with Zahe than I do with the Princess.”

Viko was quiet as he started the vehicle, the swordsman thinking on his friend’s words. “You are a fighter,” he said after a minute on the road as Yancy looked at the map, “That’s all that matters to us. Yancy, you are, by far, the most honorable of the two of us, despite everything we do.”

“Eh?”

Viko sighed. “You saved me on Earth. You had no reason to let me, your sworn enemy, into your post, but you did,” he explained. “You saved those people in that bunker Yancy. You singlehandedly saved thousands. Not I. Those are the deeds I choose to remember as I compose your song. We both have great sins… but we choose to rise above them regardless.”

It was silent inside the ‘Hog as they drove to the safehouse. But as they approached the nondescript little building, Yancy reached over and clasped his hand on Viko’s shoulder. “Viko… thank you,” he said simply as the Sangheili slowed down. “And when we find my uncle… will you…?”

The Sangheili glanced over and smiled. “Of course.”

Yancy smiled back as he slipped the ODST Airborne helmet on. “Then let us finish this then, [honor-brother.]”

Viko grinned savagely as he gripped his weapons. “Lead the way, my brother.”

[][][]

June 6, 2555

02:13 MST

Fergus Kincaid grimaced as he watched his lackeys work double time to move the goods. One bribe could get customs to look the other way for a decent load. But with all the material he was shipping, plus needing to access his nephew’s surprisingly secure junk pile of a ship, well, he needed to resort to less savory methods.

“Hey boss, we’re almost done loading up the third car with the stuff,” a thin set hound told Fergus, the older Irishman glaring at the worker. “Shouldn’t be too much longer.”

“Great, now quit yer gob and move faster!” Fergus snapped as without warning, the lights in the entire cargo area went out, plunging everyone into the cold Martian darkness before the emergency lighting came on.

“Oi, the feckin’ hell is goin’ on!” Fergus barked, furious as his workers all stopped, looking around in bewilderment. Close to the security office, one of the Brutes Fergus had hired shortly after the war walked over to the door, and was about to open it when his head simply vanished in a puff of blood and brain matter. The body dropped to the floor, and Fergus whirled about in place, snapping his gaze to the girders and catwalks connecting the various cranes and support struts on the the cargo elevator. “Sni-!”

An explosion rocked the ground, throwing the crime boss down to the ground as what had to be his precious cargo detonated, sending body parts and debris flying all over the place. Getting up, Fergus looked around and saw his security forces stand around in dumbstruck awe. “Don’t just stand there you fuckers, find the bastards and kill them!” he shouted, pointing at the security office and rafters. “I want their fecking heads, you hear me?!?”

The various Brutes and Elites that made up the bulk of his hired security then scrambled over themselves, pulling out their preferred weapons of choice. And that was about the point when everything truly began to spiral out of Fergus’ control.

Whoever the sniper was, they were good as they picked off the ones who might have been able to rally the Kig-Yar and lesser Brutes and Sangheili to action. Fergus himself scrambled to his feet, doing his best to flee the scene. He could bribe some of the Martian National Guard, yes, hell, he didn’t even have any qualms about killing the people on top of the elevator to get to his nephew’s ship. But having something explode virtually right inside the elevator, well, that was something that the Colonial Administration couldn’t overlook, and he had no contacts on the inside. Rounding a corner, Fergus saw his personal Warthog.

At least, what was left of it.

The tires were not only removed, and slashed to pieces, but the hubs and rims themselves were physically missing from the suspension. The hood was popped open, and Fergus felt his mouth drop at the sight of the hydrogen fuel cell powered engine sitting there in a mangled mess of pipes, wires, and twisted metal. “Wha-?” he muttered, dumbstruck before one of the Brutes roared in challenge.

Running back, Fergus came back to the main loading area and skidded to a stop, eyes widened in terror at what he was seeing. His men had surrounded a single Sangheili, and he had a pair of weapons in hand; one, an ornate energy sword,the other, a humble plasma pistol. There wasn’t much armor on his arms, and there was an elaborate helm on his head, but it was enough for Fergus to recognize the swordsman in a heartbeat. “Somebody shoot him already!” he cried out, and that was when the Viko ‘Magamai, Honored Swordsman of the Keep ‘Magam, struck.

The first two Brutes didn’t even have time to move as the plasma blade removed their heads from their shoulders; the scrawny and feral looking Sangheili behind them fared no better as the blade embedded itself in his belly. The plasma pistol went up, and spat its payload out. For an infamously imprecious small arm, the pistol’s shots struck true, as three of the Kig-Yar were struck down in moments.

Fergus was halfway to drawing out his own M6 handgun when he saw several small spheres drop from above. “Ah, SHITE!” he bellowed, ducking out of the way as the grenades went off, taking out more of his men as the Sangheili Swordsman continued to cut them down. “Tiberius, kill that swordsman!” he shouted into a discrete radio on his lapel, “Use whatever you want, I want that fucker dead! I don’ care if ye smear him on the feckin’ wall, just kill that sonuvabitch!!”

Viko had wrenched out his blade from the still twitching corpse of a Sangheili goon as he turned to face his next opponent. So far, the plan was going well enough to plan; Yancy’s instructions on disabling the security locks on the elevator had gone off without a hitch, and considering the fact that they had tipped off not only the UNSC Army garrison nearby, but also ONI back on Earth, and that left them very little time before the proper authorities arrived and locked everything and everyone down.

A shark crack snapped by Vik’s head, and the head of a human thug exploded in a squall of gore, a testament to the former ODST’s aim. Viko didn’t stop to acknowledge the shot, but a he lifted up his plasma pistol, its battery starting to flicker red, a thick, meaty, and shaggy arm snapped out from his right and slammed into his chest.

Viko flew through the air, landing several meters away as the air from his lungs rushed out in a pained whoosh. Grunting, Viko looked up from where he lay and stiffened. There was a Brute before him. And he was clad in a similar nature to the Banished, a Gravity Hammer in hand. “Heheheh,” the beast chuckled, advancing slowly, kicking the hilt of Viko’s deactivated blade away, “You will make a fine notch, like sword swinger.”

Viko snarled, and rose to his feet. “We shall see, monkey,” he spat, using the human work as an insult. Tiberius blinked, and then roared in fury.

Above them, Yancy was busy picking off stragglers, lumping carefully from girder to catwalk as he sniped human and alien alike. Pulling the trigger to the suppressed short barreled sniper rifle, he heard the bolt clack open and with a practiced motion, tapped the magazine release with his trigger finger, free hand already moving to grab the next loaded magazine.

A sharp, hissing whine reached Yancy’s ears just as the pink shard of blammite sank into his left thigh. “GYAAH!” he cried out, falling down onto the grilled plating of the catwalk as a T’Voan Murmillo jumped down from somewhere above him, needle rifle in its claws. The bird-like alien chittered, advancing slowly towards him as Yancy went to grab his sidearm.

“Don’t bother boyo.”

Yancy grimaced as Fergus slowly came into view, his own handgun out and ready. “I’ll admit, you made a good show here,” Fergus said, gesturing to the carnage Yancy and Viko had wrought, “But I have more bodies than you have bullets, and you’re on my turf son. Now, put the gun away, and listen to me.”

“Or what?” Yancy spat out, grabbing onto a handrail, pulling himself up. “You’re trying to start another war, and for what? Money? Some misguided sense of fucking pride? Hell, the Insurrection? All you are is-”

“What I am is the guy with a gun!” Fergus snarled, stomping forward before jamming the barrel of his pistol against the side of Yancy’s helmeted head. “You do what I saw, and I don’t hand you over to the fuckin’ Covvies! You have a fuckin’ whore that Jul ‘Mdama wants to fuck and impale on his dick, and your ship is the only one not appropriated by the fucking UEG that I can get on short notice!” The pistol pressed harder against the titanium shell of the helmet. “And speaking of, where the fuck is the bitch?!”

Without warning, a crimson beam of energy slammed into the Skirmisher, the explosive energy utterly obliterating the alien as Fergus pulled away in stunned shock. And like a snake, Yancy struck. His good leg kicked out, striking Fergus’ side. Right hand went out, grabbed the wrist with the gun. Yancy pulled, and Fergus cried out in anguish as his wrist was broken, the handgun clattering to the floor briefly before falling over the side.

Down below, Viko ducked under yet another wild swing, the Brute charging at him recklessly. The swordsman had been pushed back, away from his blade, and he was quickly running out of room to duck and weave.

The massive ape-like alien growled dangerously. “I grow tired of this whelp!” Tiberius barked, hefting his hammer high over his head. “Now die!”

Viko saw his opening. Tiberius leaned back just slightly, hammer pulled back. Viko lunged, rolling under the Brute’s legs as he swung down. As he rolled back up to his feet, Viko snagged the spike grenade off the Brute’s belt and primed it. Tiberius turned.

Viko swung.

The grenade’s hooks sliced through the undersuit of Tiberius’ armor easily, digging into his flesh as he stumbled back, desperately trying to remove the explosive. Viko sprinted out of the way, a mere two seconds before the bomb detonated, blowing off the Brute’s head.

At the sight of one of the biggest and baddest of their number’s death, the remaining thugs all decided that trying to kill the Sangheili swordsman was not in their plans, nor were they being paid enough to do so.

The unexpected arrival of an entire company of UNSC soldiers, and a handful of ONI operatives, halted their escape.

Above it all, Fergus watched in dread as his fledgling criminal empire crumbled to ash as his nephew limped towards him, pistol in hand. “Just kill me now Yancy,” Fergus begged, “Don’t let them take me, you owe me that much!” Yancy pulled back the slide, chambering a round.

“No.”

Fergus turned his head, and saw the chrome lined interior of the handgun’s barrel. “I should kill you for what you did to my mother,” Yancy said coldly. “That is what honor dictates.” Fergus paled.

With a disappointed snort, Yancy shook his head. “I wanted you to die for the longest time Uncle Fergy. And now… you’re not even worth it,” he added, lifting the handgun’s barrel away from Fergus’ head. Yancy removed the magazine from the pistol, and pocketed it. “I’m not going to kill you.” The soldier set the weapon on the catwalk, feet away from Fergus. “But I’m not going to save you. Goodbye Uncle Kincaid.”

Yancy turned around and began to limp towards the closest ladder. “So, the reinforcements in Vik?” he asked, keying in the radio.

“Yes brother, they are here and rounding up the remaining scum,” he replied. “I am moving to rendezvous with-”

Yancy heard the slide of his handgun be pulled back slightly, and then click shut. He had only managed to turn his head slightly, just enough to see his uncle’s crazed look as he stood up when the older man’s body was suddenly lifted into the air. Fergus gagged, dropping the pistol to try and remove the fingers closing tighter around his neck. Yancy watched in growing admiration as Kese forcibly turned Fergus to look into her eyes.

[You will hurt him NO MORE!] she told him coldly before shifting her stance. Fergus’ eyes widened in momentary horror before Kese threw him over the edge of the catwalk to plummet to the ground below, screaming all the way down. The Sangheili noblewoman glared at the messy spot that Fergus had become upon meeting the ground before looking back at the still stunned Yancy. “Is something the matter?” she asked him.

Yancy looked at her. He looked past the fine clothes, past the Spartan Laser she had hastily managed to secure with a belt, looked past the alien physique. He reached up, and took off his helmet. Kese blinked, confused as Yancy hurriedly limped towards her, dropping his helmet in the process before letting out a startled yelp of surprise when he reached up, grabbed the back of her neck, and pulled her head down to kiss her.

They held it for a moment before Kese broke the kiss, looking at Yancy in bewilderment. The human merely smiled at her fondly.

“You know, I think my mum would have loved you,” he told her. Kese thought about it, and smiled back before bending down and kissing him again.

[][][]

Serin Osman looked down at the bloody mess of a dead Irishman and grimaced. “BB, please tell me that whoever called us is still on this planet,” she ordered. Without missing a beat, the AI replied.

“They were Admiral,” he said apathetically. “However, considering that I wasn’t allowed in this network until, oh, I don’t know, five seconds ago, I couldn’t tell you that our mysterious callers, a Specialist Yancy Wallers and a Sangheili swordsman, are powering up their ship on the other end of that elevator.”

“What?!” Serin cried out, alarmed. She craned her head up, and could faintly see a tiny flare of light near Deimos flying away. “BB, what’s their course?”

“Assuming their reactor doesn’t meltdown mid-transit? I would say somewhere in Sangheili space,” BB replied. “I would recommend getting Lood Hood on the line, tell him to send a diplomatic team to Sanghelios just in case.” Serin narrowed her eyes. That a second rate soldier and an alien managed to slip by them with several tons of contraband was….

Embarrassing.

[][][]

“You’ll live, but I wouldn’t do anything stressful with that leg for a while.” Yancy nodded as his ship’s new doctor, Gregory House, handed him a small bottle of pills. “These are to help with the pain, two in the morning, two at night, take with water. Leg’ll be back to working order in a few days, and I’ll take the patch off then.”

Yancy nodded appreciatively. “Thanks,” he told him, swinging his legs gently off the bed, reaching over to grab the provided crutch. “You need anything when we get to Sanghelios?”

“Whatever they call tequila,” the doctor snarked, earning a chuckle from Yancy as he gingerly got up and headed out of the medical bay. They were two days in on a three week jump to Sanghelios, where hopefully, Yancy could drop Kese off, get rid of the weapons in his hold, and finally get his damn ship repaired. But, on the plus side, at least Yancy and Vik now had something that resembled a crew.

Passing by the bridge, Yancy poked his head in and saw Vik in his seat at Navigation, Zahe standing next to him, her head on his shoulder as he explained the controls of the Lazy Day to her. Smiling, Yancy continued on his way to his cabin. Stepping through the door, he had only managed to put a foot forward before someone pulled him inside, shutting the door behind him. “Hello,” Yancy said calmly, his voice muffled by his position in Kese’s cleavage as she hugged him close to her.

“I missed you,” she told him tenderly, resting her head atop his as they stood still together. Yancy sighed as he let himself relax in her embrace.

“Well, I missed you too,” he replied, finally moving his head just enough to at least look at her face. “I won’t be doing anything much the next couple of days, and we still have about two and half weeks before we reach Sanghelios. So, umm....,” he paused, suddenly shy as he looked away. Kese giggled, reaching up to tilt his head back to face her.

“I believe you had something in mind?” she teased. Yancy gulped, nodding dumbly.

He wasn’t exactly trusting his mouth at the current moment.

Kese giggled once more before leading him to his bed, gingerly setting him down before stepping back. Yancy looked at her, taking in her new dress courtesy of Zahe’s considerable wardrobe. This time, it was a shimmering, dark violet, reminiscent of Covenant ship hull, sheer and see-through except where the best parts were, which Yancy assumed was the whole point. Kese took a deep breath, and then began to sway her hips slowly, drawing his gaze towards the toned flesh.

He didn’t exactly know when he realized that he was getting a private dance, but the second that her left shoulder was bared, Yancy felt his dick stiffen. For once, he and his dick were in agreement that the sight of Kese strip dancing in front of them was a sight worth committing to memory before begging to make out with her. Kese looked out the corner of her eye during one particularly fluid twist of her body, waist sash in hand, and saw the tent in Yancy’s pants. “Excited?” she asked coyly.

“Are you?” Yancy countered, smirking. Kese grinned, and took a step closer towards him, a shoulder raised. The robe slipped off, and within the next two steps, the rest of the robe followed, leaving Yancy with an unobstructed view of her nude form. Her bruises had healed well, being barely visible at all as she closed in on him. She stopped, and then placed a hand on his chest.

“You’re overdressed.” Yancy shrugged as he went to take his clothes off, only for her to press down on his chest. “Let me.”

Yancy waited as Kese’s hand ghosted up his chest, looking for something. Her face fell, her smile settling more into an indignant frown. “Need help?” he asked her, the Sangheili refusing to stop leaning left and right.

“No, I am certain I’ll find that seam,” she muttered, glaring at the shirt that was blocking her from her prize. Sighing, Yancy shook his head as he gently gripped her wrist, pulling it away.

“You lot are too damn stubborn,” he quipped before reached down to the bottom of his shirt and lifting the fabric up. “I swear, you’re almost as bad at asking for help as Vik was, and he-” A large hand roughly shoved him onto the bed, pinning him there as Kese stared at him hungrily. “...oh, fuck.”

“That, we will be doing!” Kese growled lustily, her free hand fumbling with the sipper on his pants. Said growl went from lust, to plain old annoyance as she caught sight of the boxers Yancy was wearing. “Why do you have so many clothes on?!”

“It’s a Terran thing?” Yancy offered weakly before Kese simply grabbed the garment with both hands near a seam, and pulled. “Hey, I need that!” he cried out, his lover tossing the pieces away.

“You have more,” Kese deadpanned as she finally saw Yancy’s erect length for the first time. It wasn’t too dissimilar to a Sangheili male’s in appearance, and she felt herself grow wet as she gently stroked the flesh. Yancy let out a shuddering gasp at the touch.

“Holy shit!” he hissed, dick twitching as Kese slowly continued her ministrations. She chuckled, staring at the tense and panting face of the human under her. “And you’ve never done this before?” he asked, confused as weeks of stress and blue balling came to bear.

“Not with a human, no,” Kese admitted, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. “Most men of my species aren’t prone to… well,” she thumbed the tip of Yancy’s cock, smearing the pre all over. Yancy laughed uncomfortably as he glanced down, peeking at the modest hanging breasts, capped with dusky grey peaks. The Sangheili caught the glance and looked down, and noticed the effect her bare boobs were having on the human. “...Yancy, do you want me to…?”

“Only if you want to,” he replied, gulping. “Just know, that what you’re doing feels really good, and I know I ain’t gonna last that long,” he added, shaking. Taking his words into consideration, Kese let go of his cock and shuffled back. Yancy was about to ask why she was moving away from him when she descended, hands cupping the soft globes on her chest and trapping his length between them. “Ah Jesus!” he cried out. Her breasts were simply… hot damn, he couldn’t describe it!

Kese took it as a good sigh, and started rubbing her breasts together, driving the human further up the wall. And, much to her surprise, Kese felt something warm build up between her legs. “Yancy, am I-?”

“Kese ‘Vadam, whatever you do, don’t you fuckin’ stop!” Yancy snapped, panting as sweat trickled down his brow as he felt his resolve crumbling by the second. That, or the HVAC for the part of the ship they were in broke down again, he wasn’t quite sure which it was at the moment.

Kese gripped her flesh even tighter, fingers hovering near her nipples before she smiled slyly. “As you wish,” she stated. And then, she pressed her breasts tighter together, trapping Yancy’s throbbing self between them as she started rubbing up and down his shaft. Yancy grabbed as much bedsheet as he could in his hands and held onto them with a death grip as he tried to stop himself from coming to early. He was NOT going to ruin his first titfuck with an alien just because she was a stunningly beautiful woman, with great eyes and personality….

Yancy’s eyes popped wide open as realization hit him. He wasn’t just infatuated with Kese.

He was in love with her.

Kese meanwhile was starting to moan as she rubbed her breasts together, pinching her nipples roughly as she did so. She felt her core heat up, and the Sangheili was suddenly acutely aware of the sweaty, earthy musk of the human before her. She glanced up, and saw that Yancy was looking at her with wide, lustful eyes. Kese made a quick downstroke, and opened her mouth.

“WATCH THE TEETH!!”

Kese lunged forward, mandibles wide as she took Yancy into her mouth, her tongue touching the tip before curling around and wrapping itself around it. Yancy felt something wet, warm, and tight on his dick, and he simply couldn’t handle it anymore.

He exploded, his body stiffening in a parody of rigor mortis as he came in Kese’s mouth, his balls throbbing as he sent spurt after spurt of cum down her throat. The Sangheili almost spluttered, but held her mandibles back as she gulped as much as she could down, a small trickle sliding down from the gap of her lower jaw.

The moment passed, and Yancy flopped backwards onto the bed, Kese rising up from her position. “T-that,” he said breathlessly, “Was… incredible.” Kese smiled in appreciation as she sat down next to him, brushing a lock of hair out of the way of her face.

“Thank you,” she replied, blushing. “I’m sorry if that was too much, but, well, you seemed so, umm, into it, is that how you say it?” Yancy nodded slowly as he shifted in place. The human reached over and rested a hand on her thigh, fingers probing gently against the banded muscles hidden under her skin.

“No no no no no, you were fantastic!” Yancy reassured her as he continued rubbing her leg. “I’m just scared that I won’t be able to measure up!” Kese tilted her head in confusion as Yancy sat up and slowly hopped off the bed, his left leg still stiff. “Now, if you can, umm, you know, uhh…,” he stammered, gesturing to her legs. Hesitantly, Kese spread her legs, looking at the human as he kneeled down. He looked up at her, wordlessly asking for permission.

Kese nodded.

Yancy nodded back, and looked at Kese’s snatch for the first time. It was uncannily similar to a human and fur’s, which meant that it should, in theory, be easy to do what he had planned for her. Scooting in closer, Yancy took a deep breathe and gently blew out against Kese’s wet entrance. Kese shuddered, the cool air tickling her lips and clit tantalizingly. “Oh gods,” she breathed as Yancy did it against, her inner walls clenching on reflex.

Yancy grinned as he kept on teasing her. After the, quite simply, best orgasm he had had in years, the human was eager to return the favor as he slowly reached with his left hand towards the slick cleft. He touched her, fingertips barely grazing the plump folds of her outer lips before another hand grabbed his. He looked up and saw Kese breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling greatly as his hand was pulled away. “Yancy, can you… can you use your mouth, please?” she begged. “Please?”

“Anything for you, Princess.” Yancy took his hand back, and made himself comfortable as he faced Kese’s lower lips. Kese shivered in anticipation as Yancy looked at the dribble of fem cum dripping down the crease of her legs. Licking his lip, he leaned in, and tentatively poked at her folds with his tongue.

The first thing that went through his mind was that for some reason, Kese tasted like mint. The second was that he really liked the taste, and decided to just go ahead and blow Kese’s mind. With a quick puff of air to her exposed clit, Yancy opened his mouth, and went to work.

Kese gasped in delight as she felt Yancy’s tongue dance along her folds, teasing and brushing her skin as a small gush of feminine juices squirted out, splattering against the human’s jaw and upper chest as he made his way inward past her labia and towards her inner folds. She tried not to squirm too much, her legs beginning to shake from the strain of not clamping them down on the human’s comparatively smaller head as the Sangheili tumbled towards climax at a breakneck pace.

[Ancestors, YES!!] Kese moaned, grabbing a breast and squeezing it as she grabbed Yancy’s head with her other hand and pressed him closer. [Please, don’t stop! Don’t stop!] Yancy didn’t know much Sangheili, but he knew when a woman wanted more, and the panting, sweating, and sexily moaning woman he was currently with was definitely wanting more. So, he wiggled a hand up towards the woman’s pussy lips and spread them. He momentarily admired the slick, azure flesh within before moving in to spear the interior with his tongue. His nose, of all things, pressed against Kese’s clit.

That final stimulation was the Sangheili’s undoing. Kese came with a roar, her legs clamping down on the poor human as a torrent of cum gushed out of her, soaking Yancy’s face and chest as he struggled to breath.

Kese finally came down from her high, panting in content. Dimly, she felt an urgent tapping on her thighs, and what was that sound? Still dazed, she propped herself up and looked at where Yancy was, only to yelp as she realized in the span of a second what she was doing. “I’m sorry!” she declared, removing her legs from Yancy’s head, the human gasping for air as his mismatched eyes looked at hers in bewilderment. “Are you well?” she asked, her libido rapidly cooling at the thought that she had almost killed her partner.

“Well,” he began, wiping his mouth and chin off, “I’ll be honest, death by pleasing a lady isn’t quite what I would consider a bad way to go. But, uh, yeah,” he paused to cough briefly, looking away bashfully, “If we can not do that again, that would be… well, shit, what’s the word, umm….”

“Exquisite?”

“...that’ll work.” Yancy stood up, rubbing the side of his head as he did so. “Hey, Princess?”

“Mhm?”

Yancy smiled gently as he crawled onto the bed with her. “How do you feel?” he inquired gently, almost in a whisper. Kese looked up and down his sweating form. She sat up, and pulled him into a one armed hug, his head resting comfortably on her right.

“Honestly? Never better. And you?”

“Well, other than almost suffocating and drowning in the best thing I’ve had the privilage of tasting in years, I’m also doing pretty good,” Yancy affirmed with a smirk as he absent mindedly reached around the Sangheili’s waist as best as he could, hand resting on her hip. “I… shit, well, umm, uhh, I mean, I-”

Kese sighed, leaning over to rest her chin on his head. “Hush,” she ordered, closing her eyes in bliss. “Just… Yancy, stay with me? Please?” Yancy nodded, his hair tickling the sensitive flesh of his partner.

“Of course.”

[][][]

Sanghelios, Urs System

July 2, 2555

Vadam Keep

Yancy tried not to fidget under the scrutinizing gaze of the four Sangheili Honor Guards as he and Viko stood outside the Arbiter’s tent, a ‘cool’ breeze blowing through his hair. They had arrived in system safe enough, but then shit started falling apart again right after that. Granted, the Lazy Day hadn’t exploded, or lost another buffer panel, but still, the spare Pelican that he had used to take Viko, Kese, and Zahe down to the surface was flanked the entire time by a wing of Seraph interceptors. Beside him, Viko was decked out in the whole of his armor, the metal plating gleaming under the suns.

Without a word, the Arbiter stepped out of his tent, and behind him…. “Ah shit,” Yancy muttered to Viko. “ONI beat us here.” Viko grunted as the leader of the Swords of Sanghelios walked over towards them and stopped mere feet away.

“ONI tells me you are criminals,” the Arbiter stated plainly, looking at each one in turn. “I am willing to listen to your story, but know that any sign of treachery….”

The two nodded solemnly. The Arbiter looked at Viko. “Your armor. From the Keep ‘Magam, is it not?”

Viko stood ramrod still as he gave his response. “It is. I was the second best swordsman from my world. What is it that you will of me?” The Arbiter held out his hand. Yancy watched with wide eyes as Viko handed over his blade, the Arbiter inspecting it closely.

“I know this blade,” the Arbiter stated, handing it back to Viko. “You slew a great many Imps with this blade, did you not?” Viko nodded. The Arbiter’s face darkened. “And then, you slew a member of your Keep’s Council. You stained your honor. Explain.”

Viko took a deep breath as he looked up to the suns. “I was arrogant, and foolish,” he said after a moment. “There is nothing that I can say that will justify what I did, and I cannot excuse it for being anything other that what it is. I merely ask that you do not punish Waller for my failures.” Yancy’s eyes widened as he looked between the two Sangheili, suddenly nervous. The hell was Viko talking about?

The human quickly stiffened when the golden armored Sangheili focused his gaze on him next. “Ahh yes, Waller. You were an Imp, were you not?” Yancy nodded, not trusting his voice at the current moment. He was pretty certain that if he spoke, he’d start babbling in a panic. “Your… Office of Naval Intelligence tells me you were a valuable asset to them.”

Yancy glared at the smirking spook behind the Arbiter. “Easy for them to say when the guy in question knows how to operate and troubleshoot nuclear reactors,” he commented dryly. “Trust me, my value to them extends as far as my TS clearance goes.”

“And why do you travel and work with ‘Magamai?”

Yancy looked at Viko. “We were on Earth. The Covenant had just started fighting all over the place and I was sent to a reactor complex near Houston,” he explained. “Viko was in charge of a lance trying to take my facility, and it got to the point where it was just me and bunch of civilians trying to keep him, a few Jackals, and a Brute out. And then, well, we all know what happened after that.”

The Arbiter gave Yancy a flat look.

The human sighed. “The Brute clipped Viko in the leg, but was killed when he shoved a grenade down his throat. We dragged him inside, patched him up… after disarming him of course, and then waited to see what was going on. Found out that the Covenant was breaking apart, and I made the command decision to rig up the reactor complex I was in to blow. Viko stayed with me as I rigged the place, and kept the Brutes off my back. We’ve been together since.”

Silence fell between all present as the Arbiter mulled over the words of both Yancy and Viko. “The two of you,” he began, turning his back on the, hands hanging loosely by his sides, “Are STEEPED in dishonor. One, for murdering kin, the other, for being dishonorable. You both have worked in endeavours of ill repute, living as little more than even a Kig-Yar….” The Arbiter paused. Beside him, Kese looked at her uncle worriedly, the ONI agent hiding her smug look. Yancy and Viko glanced at each other, and nodded subtly to each other.

Yancy gulped, trying to force the dread down into his stomach. He had faced death before, but it was always in an act of battle, where anything could happen. This was… somehow both terrifying, and yet, liberating. To know when he was going to die.

“...but, the two of you saved my niece,” the Arbiter added, shoulders relaxing just slightly, “And you struck a blow, although in greed, against the Storm. For now, I shall let you both live.”

“Arbiter, these two are criminals,” the spook reminded him, narrowing her eyes. “I don’t know what laws they’ve broken in Sangheili space, but surely-”

“They are pardoned,” the Arbiter cut in, silencing the agent. Viko blinked as Yancy’s mouth dropped, shocked. “And I believe that if you explain this to your Lord Hood, he shall do the same for them. The two of them risked their lives to deliver my niece home personally.”

“They have Hurogok on their ship! A clear violation of-!”

“SILENCE!” the Arbiter thundered. Viko and Yancy reflexively flinched back, Kese tensing the muscles in her mandibles, but otherwise, not reacting. The ONI agent on the other hand was rooted in place as the Arbiter advanced on her, towering over the slim human’s frame. “Your superiors may meddle in our affairs, but they do NOT determine the fate of my people! Begone from my sight, or suffer!” he ordered.

The agent sprinted past Yancy and Viko, the two of them mutually deciding to keep their eyes fixed straight ahead as the Arbiter walked over to them. “You are pardoned of crimes, as far as the Swords of Sanghelios are concerned,” the Arbiter rumbled. “‘Magamai, in recognition of your efforts to restore your honor, and for denying a foe supplies, you shall be granted the honor of a Swordsman of Sanghelios. How do you pledge?”

Shaking, Viko clenched his right hand into a fist and held it to his chest as he knelt down. [I pledge my blade to yours,] he swore quietly, barely loud enough for the Arbiter and Yancy to hear. [Your will shall be my will, and my honor yours to do as you wish. What will you have me do, Arbiter?] The Arbiter placed a hand on the kneeling Sangheili’s shoulder.

[Rise, and I shall tell you soon, Viko ‘Magamai, Swordsman of Sanghelios,] he said. Viko rose silently as the Arbiter looked at Yancy. “You, Specialist Waller… tell me, your ship, do you command it?”

Yancy nodded. “I do sir,” he replied, wishing he could wipe the sweat from his brow. The Arbiter nodded.

“Then, as one Shipmaster to another, I shall provide repairs to your vessel,” he stated. Yancy opened his mouth to object, only for the Arbiter to hold up his hand. “But, I provide this on one condition.” Yancy closed his mouth. The Arbiter looked towards Kese, and smiled at her fondly. “My niece told me much about you. How you saved her. Allowed her to restore her honor. I do not understand her fascination with you… but I will allow it. Know only that if you hurt her, if you incur dishonor on her in any way, then I as Kaidon of the Keep ‘Vadam will hunt you down, and hang you by your entrails for a week, or until you die, whichever comes first.”

Yancy blinked. And then, to the Arbiter’s slight surprise, began laughing. “This… amuses you?” he asked, narrowing his eyes as Viko slowly edged away from his honor-brother.

“I’m sorry Arbiter, it’s just,” Yancy chuckled, looking at and then pointing at Kese, “You see, if I do manage to somehow hurt her, well, heh, you’ll have to wait in line. She’s going to be the first one in line to disembowel me.” Yancy jerked his head towards Viko. “He’s second. After that, well, it’s fair game sir.” Viko and the Arbiter looked at Yancy, and as one, looked over to Kese who was shivering in place, a blush slowly creeping up along her mandibles.

The Arbiter glanced back and saw his niece blush even harder at the attention she gave him before turning back to look at Yancy. “Good. I eases my hearts, as you humans say, that you understand,” he stated, nodding sagely. “Now, come, both of you. I have a… proposition, that I believe you will both find agreeable.” Yancy and Viko looked at each other before falling in step behind the Arbiter. And as he passed by Kese, Yancy looked over to her, and smiled.

[][][]

Four Hours Later

The night was young as Kese led Yancy down a footpath, giggling up a storm as they scaled down a cliff face. “Whoa, hold on!” the human called out, panting. “Not exactly used to this gravity you know!” The Sangheili laughed as she stopped, almost making the human behind her crash into her before Kese lifted him up off the ground.

“Then you are lucky, Shipmaster Waller, that I am happy to assist you!” she teased before continuing down the path, holding her human off the ground. Yancy wasn’t exactly in much of a spot to complain, as he could now rest his chin on her shoulder for once.

“So, where exactly are you taking me?” he asked. Kese looked at him coyly.

“That, is a surprise,” she told him as they approached a hole in the cliff face. Yancy raised an eyebrow as she ducked into it, finally setting him down. “Now, close your eyes.”

Yancy sighed, smiling softly in bemusement as she took him by the hand and led him deeper into the cave. “Okay, if what you’re taking me to see somehow gives me a heart attack, I am so haunting your sexy ass,” he quipped, much to Kese’s amusement.

“Oh, I don’t think it will come to that,” she told him reassuringly. Yancy grunted in feigned indifference as she led him, slowly. Minutes passed, and Yancy could hear the quiet rush of flowing water, and smell the difference in air quality. Less… dirty, somehow, and more clean. But, in saying that, it wasn’t the type of clean found in starships, where it was stale and recycled, no; this was the kind of fresh air that came after a rainstorm, and it brought back bittersweet memories of planets that Yancy hadn’t seen in years. “Yancy,” Kese whispered loudly, stopping them, “We are here.”

Yancy opened his eyes, and gaped, awe-struck.

They were in a small grotto, a crack in the bedrock leading to a spectacular view of the night sky, but what took Yancy’s breath away was the small waterfall dropping into what looked like a small spring, the surface lightly steaming. Around the spring, native flora sprung, a few of them glowing the darkness. On the level, it was just….

“Íosa Críost,” Yancy murmured, dumbstruck. “I… h-how…?”

Kese chuckled as she waltzed over to the spring, hands gracefully reaching for the hem of her dress. “I found this when I was but a little girl,” she told him. “I was raised close by, a quarter day’s hike from here. When I wasn’t being taught to defend myself, or I had no chores, well….” With quiet indifference, she shrugged the dress off, letting the fabric pool at the edge of the spring before slipping in. Yancy watched as she walked closer and closer to the falls, and before reaching them, dived under the water.

Yancy felt and tried to will his little Irishman down. “Dammit, not now,” he hissed to himself before a flicker of movement caught his eye. He glanced up, and felt his resolve crumble as his eyes were happily assaulted by the full frontal sight of Kese’s body underneath the waterfall. The Sangheili noblewoman gently reached for her hair, and slowly, tantalizingly, pulled it out of her sight, straightening and straining it before letting it hang loosely over her left shoulder. Yancy’s gaze flickered down to her left breast, it’s nipple only just hidden by her hair.

Kese looked up at him, smirking.

Yancy gulped.

Kese held out her hand, and with a single gesture, beckoned him forward.

Yancy’s mother had, before her passing, made sure to knock some respect for women into his head, and Fergus had, at the very least, introduced him to some of the subtleties of feminine flirtation. So, it was with only some difficulty that Yancy somehow managed to unclothe himself, undersuit and all, and wade into the spring. Unfortunately, he failed to think of the fact that water that was mid-torso on a Sangheili was still plenty deep enough for him, and he only had to chuckle nervously as he waded over to where Kese waited.

“...water’s a little deeper than I expected,” he commented lamely. Shaking her head, Kese reached over and helped Yancy find some stability. Now resting on her leg, Yancy could look up into her eyes easily enough, a blush blooming on his face. “Hey, umm, not to be a dick, but, eh, well, I was just, umm, y’know, wonderin’, umm….”

Kese let her free hand drift down below the water and grasp Yancy. He gasped, stiffening as his balls were gently fondled by the woman in front of him. “Yancy… I don’t know if I can be a Companion, not like Mistress Zahe,” Kese admitted, bumping her forehead against his gently. In her hand, Yancy grew harder, and the human himself went and wrapped his arms around her neck.

“Hey, hey, you’ll be just fine,” he told her, looking into her eyes with his own. “I mean, you’re… you, are Kese ‘Vadam. You are a princess of the Keep ‘Vadam, and the only one who can tell you can’t is… well, I suppose I’m blessed to know her,” he admitted, chuckling sheepishly. “After all, she got me to… well, I faced some monsters I didn’t want to, and… dammit,” he blurted out, looking away in increasing nervousness, “I’m so feckin’ this up, I swear, I mean, like, I, like, err, -”

“Shh,” Kese hissed gently, shifting her grip on him. “I get it. So… if I were to try and become a warrior… you’d support me?”

Yancy smiled brightly. “Well, obviously, I’m not going to support you if you want to go on a dick severing spree on slavers,” he joked. “I mean, I hate them too, but, not nearly enough to chop their dicks off. Hell, some of them I’m sure don’t even have those to begin with.” Kese gave him a hard look, and Yancy rolled his eyes. “Point is, if it doesn’t land us both in an ONI blacksite, I will do my best to support you in whatever you wish to pursue Princess.”

Kese looked at him pensively. “‘Princess’... what is that?”

Yancy’s face scrunched up in thought. “Umm…,” he groaned. “Hmm. Well, I suppose the best equivalent for how you guys do things would be something like an expectant female Kaidon, or something. A princess back on Earth was usually the daughter of a king, or wife to a prince. It’s not exactly a common title anymore.”

Kese closed her eyes for a moment, and then gazed at Yancy lovingly as she smiled. “‘Princess’... I like it,” she said finally. “And am I safe to assume that a princess outranks even a lowly Shipmaster such as yourself?”

Yancy’s smile turned lewd. “Only when not on his ship,” he answered. Kese returned the look, her eyes narrowing salaciously as she started wading back to shore.

“Well then, your Princess has need of you then, Shipmaster,” she purred, the Sangheili soon dropping him off at the edge of the spring. Smirking, Yancy stepped out, and then held his hand out for her to take. Quirking her head to the side, Kese took it, and let Yancy ‘lift’ her out of the spring, the water chilling rapidly in the relatively cool air.

Yancy unashamedly looked up and down her body, his penis rising in appreciation of the view. The water dripped down and off her body in teasing rivulets, steam wafting off as the starlight shined off of her. [Beautiful,] Yancy muttered in halting Sangheili, making Kese blush as the human advanced. Tenderly, Yancy placed his hands on her hips and started rubbing in small circles. Kese started purring in contentment as stress began to leave her body.

“Oh, right there,” she murred huskily as Yancy huffed in amusement. Gently, he nudged her to where their clothes were, and the noblewoman allowed it. Yancy laid her down gently, and took a deep breath.

“And would my Princess ask of me?” he asked coyly. Kese huffed in mock annoyance.

“I want you to ravish me,” she told him, her tone brokering no argument. “I want you in me, and I want you make damned sure that even my ancestors know how well you fuck!” Yancy smirked, his eyes glistening as all of a sudden, his presence seemed to loom over the larger alien. Kese let out an embarrassed yelp as fingers pressed against her lower lips, rubbing and teasing the flesh as Yancy laid himself against her.

“Careful what you wish for Princess,” Yancy retorted with a knowing smile. “You’ve already made sure I can keep up with you for the most part. Are you certain you want to press this?” His right middle finger slid between the slickening folds of her sex, the underside of the digit gingerly grazing the cusp of her clit. Kese keened, clasping a hand over her mouth to barely muffle the wail of pleasure that had just raced up her spine. With his other hand, Yancy reached up and cupped the Sangheili’s right tit, fingers tracing the bottom edge as it connected to her heaving chest. She hissed, her other hand digging into the ground as Kese looked over the top of her chest at Yancy.

“P-Please,” she whimpered. Yancy shifted, his shaft now resting against her thigh. Never before had Kese felt it so hard, so… virile. “Please Yancy….”

Yancy saw the pleading look in her eyes, and nodded silently. Removing his hand from her pussy, he shifted yet again, and this time, Kese felt the tip of his length rest right in the cleft of her lips. Slowly, he rubbed against her, her slick snatch easily making his progress easier as after only moments of this, Yancy gripped her hips, and pressed into her.

Yancy shuddered as he entered her, his partner gasping as he finally entered her. She was definitely wet, and warm, and Yancy had to pause in order not to come right then and there like a virgin. He slowly pulled back, feeling Kese tremble, the feeling exquisite through her vaginal walls. Clenching his teeth, the human pushed himself deeper, spreading her lips and walls wider with each thrust.

Kese gritted the teeth of her jaw and mandibles tightly together as Yancy picked up a rythem inside of her. Walls spreading and then complaining of being empty as the hot spire of Yancy’s passion for her went in and out, in and out in at a persistent pace. Kese began panting as she reached up to cup her left breast, thumb and forefinger pinching and teasing the now diamond hard nub at its peak. The other two fingers on her hand were busy ghosting along the skin on her sides, sweat beginning to offer another sheen to the now mostly dried moisture from the spring. One particularly hard thrust from Yancy sent a jolt of mind-numbing pleasure through her, and the Sangheili moaned wantonly.

Yancy was sweating like a hog now, his hands gripping Kese’s hips tightly; not enough to even remotely hurt the Sangheili heiress, but definitely enough for her to notice, and for him to use as leverage as he began to try fucking her harder. The wet slap of skin on skin echoed through the grotto faster, the two of them moaning together as Yancy felt his balls begin to clench. “Kese… I-I’m,” he gasped, his dick pressing down on some part of Kese that made her now squirm in place, keening in sharp tones.

“Inside! Inside!” she gasped back, a heavy, fiery weight pooling right above the crux of their joining. Gritting his teeth, Yancy snarled as he went full boar, jack hammering away at her, growling possessively as he, in a burst of strength, lifted Kese’s legs clear off the ground to plant them on his shoulders.

“Mine!” he spat, his dick now going deeper into his lover as he leaned over, head hovering over the alien’s bouncing globes. Kese lost it. Between her ministrations on herself, and Yancy’s passion filled fucking of her pussy, she couldn’t help but roar in climax, her pussy walls clenching and pulling Yancy deeper into her as her juices squirted out in leaky spurts. The feeling of the silken walls grabbing him and pulling him in pushed Yancy over the edge, and he came with his own roar, his seed spilling into her with unexpected ferocity. He continued pushing into her for a few moments more before collapsing on top of her, panting heavily.

Kese was breathing heavily as she slowly laid a hand on Yancy’s shoulder blades. “H-How… soon… ca-can you-?” she asked with shaky breathes. Yancy chuckled as he withdrew himself, earning a low moan from his lover as he exited with a muted pop.

“Depends on how fast I can get you to come,” he replied, placing a hand along the side of her right breast again.

The two of them did not get any sleep that night.

[][][]

The sun was seeking to peek over the horizon as Viko and Zahe were sitting in a drinking hall, having had their fun hours ago. [So, the Arbiter has you as his, what does the UNSC call them, his ‘privaters?’] she asked him. Viko chuckled as he lifted his drink to his mouth.

[‘Privateers,’] he corrected her gently, [And from what I understand, he is working to make it the same with the UNSC as well. If we come across any Loyalist supplies, or anything heading into Loyalist space, my brother and I are given leave to take it and return it here to allied space.] Zahe smiled as she snuggled closer to the swordsman.

[Well, I suppose it would be a steady job for you,] she commented, her eyelids growing heavy. [I don’t know what I can do….] Viko looked over to her, mug set down on the table.

[Lady ‘Laram, please, no need for that,] he told her, gently raising her chin up. [After this, Yancy and I will ensure that you can continue doing what you do, and I will do my best to support you.] Zahe huffed, eyebrow raised in amusement.

[Oh? And you wouldn’t mind, being bonded with a whore?]

Viko chuckled, the low, baritone notes rumbling through Zahe’s frame. [It means that others know that I am confident that my bonded doesn’t need me to protect her,] he countered, nuzzling her hair. Zahe closed her eyes, taking in a deep, relaxed breath.

[Flattery will get you anywhere,] she told him as several Swordsmen came up to their table. Viko subtly shifted, his arm pulling her closer to him as the Major leading them bowed his head to the pair.

[Swordsman, your presence is requested in the Kaidon’s Keep,] the Major rumbled. [In light of your… recent actions, the Arbiter wishes to review, and add onto, the battle song of your clan.] Zahe perked up, glancing up at the man she was snuggled against.

Viko raised his mug, and took a long drink from it as the Major and his men waited for the reply. Setting the mug back down, Viko lowered his head in respect. [I would be honored to assist the Arbiter in writing my clan’s battle song, but I am afraid that I alone cannot tell it.] Seeing the confused looks on their face, Viko gestured to Zahe next to him. [The Lady ‘Laram plays a part in the story, as well as my brother by honor. ...speaking of whom, I believe here he comes now.]

All turned to look at the doorway, and to their surprise, both Yancy and Kese stumbled inside, mutual grins on their faces. Viko shared a look with Zahe as the two of them noticed the tell tale signs of caked on and dried cum and sweat, and the three Swordsmen of Sanghelios backed away as the two of them sat at the table. “...a good night then, I take it?” Zahe asked Kese.

The younger Sangheili woman beamed as she hugged the lone human into her side. “Mhm,” she grunted, eyelids lowering just enough to both keep Yancy seduced, and because after the last night, she was about to fall over asleep. It was roughly then that Viko finally noticed something different about Yancy.

Namely, the fact that most of his torso and almost the entirety of his left shoulder was wrapped up in white bandages, spots of red spilling out.

“Yancy, what happened?!” Viko asked, alarmed. Yancy chuckled, and stroked Kese’s arm holding him to her.

“Best… night… ever,” the human replied. “Worth every second.” The three Sangheili behind the two looked like they were about to have a conniption as Viko’s chest rose and fell rapidly, before he simply exploded in laughter.

[Oh brother, you randy bastard!] he barked, slamming a fist onto the table. [We must celebrate this!]

“Vik, English man.”

Viko gestured for a drink, and in moments, a mug was placed before Yancy. “Yancy Waller, I propose we toast the success of your night, and the success of many more!” Viko exclaimed, raising his mug up high. Shrugging Yancy lifted his and chuckled.

“Eh, fuck it, I’ll drink to that.” Mugs clacked together, and the two of them chugged their drinks before slamming them down. “...hey Vik?”

“Yes?”

“Remember that song I sing when I’m drunk sometimes?”

“Yes?”

Yancy grinned. “Wanna sing it?” Viko looked at Zahe, who looked curious, and then at Kese, who was about to slump over asleep.

“Alright then,” the Sangheili answered, much to Yancy’s glee.

When the Arbiter came by the drinking hall several hours later to collect Viko, he was greeted by the sight of several drunk Sangheili, a modestly intoxicated human, and a repeat performance of the damned song.

“Gather round ye lads and lasses and set ye for a while, and harken to me mournful tale about our screwed up clan. Let’s all raise our glasses high to friends and family gone, and lift our voices in another Irish drinking song!

“Consumption took me mother, and my father caught the pox, my brother drank the whiskey till he wound up in a box, our other brother in the Troubles met with his demise, his sister has forever closed her crazy ‘Magam eyes!

“Now everybody's died, and until our tears are dried, we’ll drink and drink and drink and drink and then we’ll drink some more! We’ll sing and dance and fight until the morning light, then we’ll throw up, pass out, wake up, and then go drinking once again!

“Ken was killed in Kilkenny and Zare he died in air, Kip from Tipperary was blown up everywhere, Shannon jumped into the river Shannon back in June, Bernie fell into the Erne and Tom is the Toome!

“‘Cleanliness is Godliness,’ me Uncle Pat would sing, he broke his neck a-slippin’ on a bar of Irish Spring! Khoda he was ninety, ‘tho his bride was just a pup, he died upon the honeymoon when she got his ‘Magam up!” The Arbiter had to resist the urge to laugh as the sound grew progressively louder, and frankly, funnier, until it seemed that Yancy was wrapping up the final actual verse. “Someday soon I’ll leave this world of pain and toil and sin, the Lord will take me by the hand to join all of me kin. Me only wish is when the Savior comes for me and you….”

“He kills the Banished dogs, and Jul ‘Mdama too!”

And that was the day when the Keep ‘Vadam became honorary Irishmen.

[][][]

One Year Later

New Odessa was a planet of bad luck. Infested with the scum of Earth during its colonization, glassed by the Covenant, and then reinfested with criminals shortly thereafter, the planet was a place of sin and violence. And never was it quite so apparent as when a modified Warthog careened past the twisted, burnt out, and stripped hull of a Pelican, with a mixture of Mongooses, Warthogs, and the odd Ghost or two following close behind.

“I don’t get it, why the hell is she so damned pissed?” Yancy yelled as he pulled out the grenade launcher by his seat. “I mean, she does realize that her old man was a bit of a dick, right?” In the driver’s seat, Viko snorted and rolled his eyes.

“I believe you have a very skewed view on what happens in a person’s mind when they lose family,” the Sangheili retorted, just as Yancy fired. Behind them, a Ghost exploded, the twisted hulk sent spinning as its anti-gravity drive overloaded from the sudden impact. “After all, you did kill Fergus.”

“No, that was Kese,” Yancy shot back as he popped the breach back open, dropping another grenade in. Yancy lifted the launcher back up.

Blooop!!!

“And besides, now that she’s pregnant and all, it’s not like I can bring her such marvelous locales like this!” Yancy added as this time, a Mongoose flipped upwards into the air before crashing back down on top of a Warthog, when then careened out of control, scattering the pack of thugs behind them.

Viko chuckled as he shifted his attention over to a tunnel fast approaching. “Speaking of, what will you name the child?” he asked, jerking the steering wheel as far to the right as he could, making Yancy hang on for dear life to the crash cage handles.

“JESUS CHRIST, warn me next time!” Yancy shouted as the remaining horde all tried to take the turn seconds later, most ending up in an embarrassing pile of metal, smoke, burning flesh, and many, many, honorable mentions in the annals of the Darwin Awards. “And we haven’t decided yet! I mean, shit, we don’t even know what sex the kid is yet!”

“Hmm, well, if it were me-,” Viko began.

“And thank God I’m not,” the human cut in.

“Then I would try to choose a name that reflects the child’s heritage,” Viko finished, coming up to a spot in the tunnel where a suspiciously grey patch of ceiling rested. “Oh, Brother?”

“Yeah yeah, I got it,” Yancy grumbled as he loaded in another grenade, aimed, and fired.

And once more, the Lukyanov Memorial Tunnel was blocked off by rubble and debris as Yancy and Viko speed off into the badlands, where a hidden Pelican of theirs was waiting. “Well, that takes care of that,” Viko stated, just as a massive, airborne shape thundered into view, loudspeakers blaring angrily in Russian. Looking at the battered, and reworked form of the AC-220 Vulture Gunship, Viko glanced back. “...please, tell me you brought something along for this?”

Yancy looked at the gunship, and then shuffled to the back. He unbuckled a crate in the floor, and with a grunt, hefted out a pair of Spartan Lasers. “Just give me a good shot, [brother,]” Yancy commented with a smirk. Viko grinned, and with a roar, slammed his hoof onto the accelerator, Yancy whooping with glee as he charged up the lasers.