Kelvaaro 'Shrykar

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Kelvaaro 'Shrykar
Covenant Banished
Biographical Information
TITLES	The Aimless One The Marauder
LINEAGE	Shrykar
DATE OF BIRTH	23rd Age of Doubt (2483)
HOMEWORLD	Sanghelios
Physical Information
GENDER	Male
HEIGHT	2.4 Meters (7ft 11in)
WEIGHT	151 kilograms
EYE COLOR	Orange
CYBERNETICS	Various systems through the body, robotic right hand, robotic legs
Political/Military Information
SPECIALTY	Leadership Ground Combat
RANK	Minor Major Ultra General Zealot
BRANCH	Infantry
AFFILIATION	Covenant
ERA	23rd Age of Doubt Ninth Age of Reclamation (Human-Covenant War)
[Source]

"As far as I am concerned, my life is over. Nothing brings me joy anymore, and the only thing that keeps me going is my duty to the Covenant. I will only be at peace when this ends, either with my victory against humanity, or with their blades at my throat."

―Kelvaaro 'Shrykar

Kelvaaro 'Shrykar (Oracle Code S1-T2341-2349) was a Sangheili Field Marshal in the Covenant military. Originally an acclaimed warrior, a near-death experience with a Spartan left his body disfigured. Ostracized for his injuries, over time Kelvaaro fell into a depression, becoming a mindless Covenant commander. He was supposedly killed by Spartan-III Ivory Team in 2549 during the Siege of Paris-IV, but survived once more and went on to join the Banished in the aftermath of the Human-Covenant War.

Biography

Early Life

Kelvaaro was born during the 23rd Age of Doubt (2483 by human terms) to a middle class family in the state of Vadam on Sanghelios. Having a younger brother named Sloru, the two were part of the Shrykar lineage and keep. Once a strong family with rulership over their own state, a bloody war long before the two's time had seen the Shrykar bloodline lose their independence to the much stronger Vadam family.

Over the centuries, Shrykar's influence had been diminished, until the keep was merely a vassal that supplied Vadam with military support and security. Despite, this, many of the family members respected the Vadams for their power and were always accommodating visiting Vadam representatives when the occasion arose.

Kelvaaro and his younger brother grew up in a large communal environment fostered by a plethora of varying adults in their family. Raised alongside their cousins, Kelvaaro quickly leaned to his maternal uncle Var 'Shrykaree as his favorite instructor. Var was a respected member of the keep due to his status in the Covenant military, and served as an advisor to the family's elder, Livak 'Vadam.

Kelvaaro was keen on military history and constantly devoted his free time to learning under his uncle, prioritizing combat studies over all else. Sluro, however, was often outed by most family members due to his mischievous personality and refusal to conform to the keep's rules. Often times Sluro would try to pick fights with Kelvaaro due to the fact that he excelled under Var. The elder 'Shrykar brother chose to ignore these challenges, seeing them as nothing more than a grab for attention by his younger brother.

This ended in 2492 when Sluro took his games too far, purposefully injuring Kelvaaro during a practice duel to mock him. Fed up with his younger brother's ways, Kelvaaro ignored his injury and struck back, using his better understanding of fighting to deal a harmful blow to a weak point that severely damaged Sluro's muscles. Surprised that his older brother had lashed out, Sluro could barely move as the pain immobilized him. Those supervising the duel had witnessed the entire event transpire and chose to praise Kelvaaro's attack, citing that he had simply did unto Sluro and Sluro had done to him.

When Var discovered this, he was not praiseful of Kelvaaro's actions however. Disappointed that his nephew had lashed out, Var reprimanded him, stating that an outburst like that was uncalled for in such a meager situation. Kelvaaro took this, but was secretly proud of himself for having silenced his normally obnoxious brother. In the months that followed, Sluro often avoided Kelvaaro to the best of his ability, still frightened by his brother's capabilities.

Following into his teenage years, Kelvaaro and Sluro rekindled their relationship and formed a close bond. During this time the former continued his training under Var, but also developed a relationship with a girl his age from the neighboring keep of Ratum. Named Kisca, she had met him when the two had begun to do farmwork in inter-keep grounds. A budding romance blossomed between the two, and by the age of sixteen Kelvaaro had the intent to marry her when they came of age.

Pilgrimage and Exile

"You think that I took that blow all those years ago in stride? No! You had dishonored me, and for that I vowed to eventually do the same to you! And look how my revenge has flourished!"

―Sluro revealing his betrayal to Kelvaaro

By the age of seventeen, Kelvaaro had made it clear that he intended to join the Covenant military, and thus decided to make a pilgrimage to the distant Tower of Ghalod'n, a city-like structure where he planned to hone his skills under venerable swordsmen residing there. Sluro, only a year his junior, elected to go as well, and the two brothers set off to Ghalod'n.

The Tower of Ghalod'n.

Upon arriving, they found and payed for sleeping quarters, and Sluro explored the city-tower to explore what it had to offer while Kelvaaro spent the several days they had training under one of Var 'Shrykaree's acquaintances, a swordsman named Okoro 'Dalumai.

Towards the end of their stay, Sluro became very distant from Kelvaaro, but the elder 'Shrykar brother suspected nothing of it and they soon began their trek back to Skrykar Keep. Upon returning, however, Kelvaaro was met by his keepmates with a rough beatdown, and was promptly detained in the keep's long-abandoned jail.

Completely unaware of what was happening, Kelvaaro soon learned that he had been accused of murder. A dead Sangheili had been discovered near his and Sluro's quarters shortly after they departed from Ghalod'n, and Kelvaaro was the prime suspect due to his skills and likelier ability to kill than Sluro.

Visited by each of those close to him, Kelvaaro received drastically different reactions. His mother simply wept, while Var expressed his disappointment in him and brushed off his pleas for innocence as desperate lies. Finally, Kelvaaro met with Sluro, who revealed that he had killed the Sangheili and framed Kelvaaro for the murder. Sluro had done it as revenge for Kelvaaro supposedly dishonoring him eight years prior, which made Kelvaaro internally question his younger brother's state of mind. However, Kelvaaro's attempts to warn others of his brother's treachery went unheard.

Eventually, Livak 'Vadam gave Kelvaaro a choice - To either pay for his crimes or be exiled from the keep. Kelvaaro chose the latter, and was promptly kicked from his home with nothing but the clothes on his back. However, Kelvaaro knew exactly what he planned to do next. With nothing else for him to experience, he would find solace in realizing his plans of joining the military.

Before he departed, Kelvaaro traveled to Ratum Keep where he was met with disdain. The Ratum bloodline had learned of his supposed crimes and did not look kindly on him. Meeting with Kisca, he told her the truth, and to Kelvaaro's surprise, she was the only one who believed him. Informing her of his plans to join the military, Kelvaaro vowed to return and take her hand in marriage once he had regained his honor. The two shared one last embrace before Kelvaaro departed, leaving his old life behind.

Covenant Military Service

"All my life has led me to this - my true calling, as a proud warrior of the Covenant."

―Kelvaaro 'Shrykaree

Joining the Covenant military saw a new beginning for Kelvaaro. Only known by his Shrykar lineage and nothing else, the young Sangheili was relieved that he would not have to deal with accusations and glares. Taking the new name of Kelvaaro 'Shrykaree and the rank of Minor, he joined the Fleet of Resolute Scrutiny, being stationed aboard the CCS-class battlecruiser Invoking Thought in the Qar'taan Legion.

The Invoking Thought.

'Shrykaree was assigned to a Sangheili-exclusive lance, where he quickly discovered that his fellow recruits also shared the dream of becoming a Covenant warrior from a similar age. While he got on well with all of his lance mates, two in particular became close friends. One was Vuzo 'Rahamee, a High Charity native, while the other was Juro 'Konomee, a fellow resident of Sanghelios.

Due to a lapse in combat since the decline of the 39th Age of Conflict, the Fleet of Resolute Scrutiny rarely saw combat over the next two years, giving much time for Kelvaaro to train and become acquainted with his lancemates, including their benevolent but strict Major, N'thus 'Dattinee.

However, in 2502, a large conflict arose in the Yuk'narok System. Well known for hosting several colonies that were free from the influence of the Prophets, the star system served as a cesspool for mercenaries and lowlifes. Not much was initially known to Kelvaaro, but nevertheless the Fleet of Resolute Scutiny was mobilized to travel to the system to keep the peace.

Yuk'narok Campaign

"Criminals, mercenaries, heretics? No matter. They will all see the light in time."

―Fleet Master Oda 'Kragumee's proclamation

The Yuk'Narok System had four colonized planets, all inhabited by a plethora of different Covenant species. The system's capital of Darog was located on the forge world of Iko-thi, once a prime shipyard in the Covenant empire. Iko-thi's moon of Eruko was primarily a marketplace for Unggoy and Sangheili residents. The planet Pur was less of a Covenant colony and more of a safehaven for droves of Kig-Yar pirates, and the gas giant Oquar served as the hub for an orbital fortess that that the Covenant used as their foothold in the system.

The system had been compromised a month before the deployment of the Resolute Scrutiny when a band of disgruntled Covenant troops stationed in orbit around Oquar made a pact with a local heretic group to cede the fortress and control of the system to them in return for status among the group. The events that followed were a bloody takeover of the system, with the majority of the Covenant forces at the command post being slaughtered by Heretics as those located on Iko-thi and Eruko went into hiding to request reinforcements.

The Kig-Yar pirates of Pur had seized the opportunity for plunder, hiring themselves for work under the heretics to quickly conquer Yuk'Narok. By the time the Covenant's calls for help had been received, the star system now lay in the clutches of the Heretics and pirates.

The Fleet of Resolute Scrutiny was unfazed by the power grab of the heretics, however. On arrival, Fleet Master Oda 'Kragumee sent a fleet-wide broadcast, rallying the troops with a proclamation that their enemies would see the light and either submit to it, or be swept away. Their first action was to retake the fortress of Oquar to reestablish their foothold in Yar'narok, then to advance further into the system.

Assault on the Orbital Station

Vuzo 'Rahamee: "Who knew that combat could be so invigorating, Kelvaaro?"

Kelvaaro 'Shrykaree: "Indeed, brother Vuzo! Two have fallen before my fury!"

―Vuzo and Kelvaaro expressing their newfound love for battle.

The Qar'taan Legion was given the honor of raiding the station, and within hours of Fleet Master 'Kragumee's speech, Kelvaaro and his lance were suited up and prepared for battle. The Invoking Thought split off from the rest of the fleet to assault the orbital fortress, while other ships were relegated to fighting off incoming Heretic vessels.

The initial skirmish contained none of the promises of hardship that Kelvaaro had been trained for. An inexperienced team of meagerly-armed Sangheili heretics was all that guarded the station's airlocks, and they were easily dispatched by other lances by the time Kelvaaro and his lancemates had set foot in the fortress.

Kelvaaro 'Shrykaree aboard the orbital fortress.

Kelvaaro initially grew nervous after multiple firefights sprouted in the surrounding corridors, not because he feared death, but because he feared missing a chance for glory. Luckily, his chance came when the lance stumbled upon a band of heretics retreating further into the complex. Catching them off guard, the Covenant's superior training and equipment easily won out over the heretics' feeble stocks. During the fight, Kelvaaro personally killed two combatants himself, to great pleasure which his friend Vuzo 'Rahamee shared.

While the majority of the boarding party continued to clear out the enemy, N'thus 'Dattinee had the lance fall in with a larger file to reclaim the control center. It was here where they met their first real opposition in the form of well-armed ex-Covenant troops, in fact the ones who had formerly maintained the station. Blows were exchanged, and despite nearby comrades falling to enemy fire, Kelvaaro found his first taste of battle invigorating. By the time the traitors had been slaughtered, around half of the file had been lost.

Only at this point did Kelvaaro realize that his friend Juro 'Konomee had been felled by a stray bout of plasma. While the orbital fortress had been retaken, 'Shrykaree had learned the price of war. Little did he know that this would only mark the beginning of a drawn-out conflict.

Pur Offensive

"Had I known the eternity that this war would take, I would have changed my outlook from the beginning..."

―Kelvaaro 'Shrykaree expressing his regrets about the beginning of the Yuk'narok Campaign

Despite the mere hours it took for the Qar'taan Legion to storm Oquar's orbital fortress, such luck did not befall the rest of the Fleet of Resolute Scrutiny. While the heretics had garnered few capital ships, intelligence had severely underestimated the number of Kig-Yar ships that resided in the system. The Covenant fleet had superior firepower, but this tactical error saw Oda 'Kragumee deploy a handful of vessels to the frontlines while the remainder of the fleet began to organize themselves.

Because of this, the combined forces of the heretics and pirates proved enough to even take down a CCS-class battlecruiser at the cost of hundreds of their own smaller craft. Upon his return to the Invoking Thought, Kelvaaro found himself shocked at how the might of the Covenant fleet could be squandered by a flotilla of inferior vessels. The opening blows of the Yuk'narok offensive had ended, and while the battle for Oquar had been a crushing victory, the naval front had drastically ended in a stalemate.

The next week saw Kelvaaro and Vuzo mourning for the fallen Juro. The week dragged on, and eventually turned into a month as Fleet Master 'Kragumee painstakingly took his time to coordinate an effective plan to turn the situation around. Naval skirmishes became common, but two months after the arrival of the Resolute Scrutiny, a new plan of battle had been formed; to eliminate the heretics' allies in the Kig-Yar pirates.

Due to the Kig-Yar's role in the war being a solely monetary one, the common consensus was that if they could be forced from their base on Pur, the pirate flotillas would be deterred and either pull out of the conflict or even swap their allegiances to save their own hides. No matter, the ground campaign for Pur would soon begin, and troops were needed. After several more days of milling about, reinforcements came to the aid of the fleet in the form of thousands of new warriors needed to ensure success on the ground front.

Kelvaaro and Vuzo were promoted to Majors for taking part in personally reclaiming the orbital fortress' control center, but remained under N'thus, who had been promoted to Ultra in turn. These promotions were given only to those who had proven themselves in the attack on Oquar, as they were seen to be fit to command the new arrivals. With his own command capacity, Kelvaaro was set to act as a lieutenant to N'thus alongside Vuzo as their lance expanded into a file to include yet more Sangheili Minors, as well as Unggoy.

Kelvaaro 'Shrykaree upon his promotion to Major.

Things finally picked up pace for Kelvaaro as several Covenant warships including the Invoking Thought were sent down to Pur as the main fleet began their assault on the moon of Eruko to gain a larger base of operations for the final push against Iko-thi.

Larger and stronger legions were tasked with the destruction of Kig-Yar command posts while the Qar'taan legion was deployed in the remote marshes surrounding the Kig-Yar city of Kaltoy, where one of the planet's largest spaceports was located. While Kelvaaro was under the impression that they would storm through the city and take the spaceport with little difficulty, they soon learned that such a feat was not possible as the enemy spacecraft were so large in number that the Invoking Thought had barely any time to send down the Qar'taan Legion and their supplies before sustaining major damage at the hands of expert Kig-Yar pilots.

Kelvaaro's camp in the marshes of Kaltoy.

As such, the Qar'taan Legion layed low for nearly a month while their Engineers covertly built a makeshift citadel to serve as the Field Master's headquarters. During this time Kelvaaro was often sent out on patrols into the marshes, a task he disdained for the lack of combat with the enemies, and the taint it put upon his armor.

When construction of the citadel finished, Ultra N'thus 'Dattinee was tasked with leading the file on a scouting mission to begin the siege of Kaltoy. They marched through the mud and water for a day before reaching a small Kig-Yar outpost on the outskirts of the city. By this time, the file had done away with stealth, and they breached the settlement in full force. Kelvaaro led a small detachment of Sangheili Minors separately from the group, and they easily slaughtered around thirty Kig-Yar themselves.

With the camp taken, the rowdy file began to pillage what they could. Despite efforts from Kelvaaro and Vuzo to establish order, N'Thus simply told them to wait it out, as tensions would escalate further if they denied their subordinates a reward. Soon, the file's reports of their success drew in the rest of the Legion, which set up a secondary base of operations at the camp, with the Field Master and a minority of the army remaining at the established citadel.

The Kig-Yar of Kaltoy inevitably learned about the slaughter of their brethren, and finally began to treat the intruders on their doorstep as a serious threat. Eventually, bombings from Kig-Yar fighters became commonplace, and border patrols began to skirmish with Qar'taan scouts. The fighting ground to a crawl, as Kelvaaro and his fellow warriors would occasionally catch Kig-Yar patrols and kill them, and in return an enemy bombing run would leave several dead.

As the months dragged on, a change came about in the members of the Qar'taan Legion. Unggoy troops started the turn, taking pleasure in abusing the corpses of Kig-Yar, who had served as their rival race. This was ignored by their Sangheili commanders, including Kelvaaro, but soon the Unggoy began to dismantle enemy bodies and use various parts as tools or keep them as war trophies. The act was initially punished by the Sangheili for the sheer disgust of it, but it soon grew out of hand, as the majority of the legion had an Unggoy populace. Thus, the Sangheili eventually grew to live with it, as there were not nearly enough of them to quell the Unggoy behavior, but the memories of the Unggoy Rebellion from roughly four decades prior still burned within the minds of older Sangheili officers.

Surprisingly, this habit spread. Younger Sangheili, often Minors, would take to keeping trophies, while not nearly in the capacity of the Unggoy. A disgruntled N'thus even partook, fashioning a crude necklace for himself made out of Kig-Yar teeth. It was at this point that Kelvaaro lost all respect for his superior, who had clearly changed since they first met.

A year had passed since the Covenant had begun their campaign to retake the system. Support and refueling ships had been sent as reinforcements, but due to their delicate nature, many deployed vessels including the Invoking Thought were pulled back to replenish their stock of energy.

The Kig-Yar of Pur took full advantage of this, and the Field Master of the Qar'Taan Legion soon reported massive surges in Covenant deaths across the planet. Bombings became more frequent, and deaths in the Qar'taan's territory began to swell.

Qar'taan Ultra: "Be proud, 'Shrykaree. The Field Master has deemed you fit to wear this harness, especially compared to a treacherous coward such as N'thus 'Dattinee."

Kelvaaro 'Shrykaree: "I am not fit for promotion, let alone to wear that armor."

Qar'taan Ultra: "Stay your tongue and accept it."

— Kelvaaro 'Shrykaree being forced to take the late N'thus 'Dattinee's Ultra harness

These events sowed unrest in the Legion, and soon open talk of a forced attempt to leave Pur was tossed between the troops. Unggoy masses felt enslaved to a war they had no part in, and Sangheili yearned for glorious combat rather than toiling away in the marshes.

Despite a population of those content with their position and of extreme loyalty to the Field Master, Covenant soldiers freely expressed their disdain. Plans were spoken of by Kelvaaro's subordinates and equals alike to march on the Field Master and force him to either find a way off of Pur, or to finally begin an assault on the city of Kaltoy.

Chief among the rebellious coordinators was N'thus himself, who attempted to convince Kelvaaro and Vuzo to join him in the traitorous plans. Kelvaaro had decided that the acts of treason were enough and that he had to put a stop to it.

Under the guise that he would be requesting reinforcements from the Field Master, Kelvaaro traversed through the muddy plains to the Qar'taan citadel, where he relayed the information of the rebels's plans and organizers that he knew of. When asked what his motives were for this, Kelvaaro simply replied that he had no sympathy for traitors, and that his loyalty to the Covenant was absolute.

The initial response to Kelvaaro from the Field Master's envoys were to simply return him to the base camp with a batch of Unggoy to fit his narrative of gathering reinforcements. Several days after his return, Kelvaaro took witness as agents of the Qar'taan Field Master arrived and apprehended several Sangheili of various standings - including N'thus 'Dattinee. As they were hauled off to the citadel, Kelvaaro's actions slowly began to sink in. Months ago, he would never have entertained the notion of betraying N'thus, but the Ultra had changed into a different person entirely, and threatened to betray the Covenant itself.

Soon after the insurgents were carted away to meet their demise, the agents of Qar'taan returned once more. This time they brought with them one set of armor - the Ultra harness of the now-deceased N'thus. They came with a message from the Field Master thanking Kelvaaro for his loyalty. Along with this was a "Gift;" a promotion to Ultra in replacement of N'thus.

While Kelvaaro attempted to restate that his intentions were out of loyalty and not for reward, he was cautioned by the envoys that refusing an offer from such a high-ranking officer would not end well. This silenced Kelvaaro's pleas, and he begrudgingly accepted the rank of Ultra and 'Dattinee's combat harness.

The complaints and rallying cries of the Qar'taan Legion did not go unheard. Now knowing the reasons for rebellion, the Field Master promised to all a swift end to the swamp warfare. The frontline troops were organized in a matter of days to march on the city, using the cover of the swamps, providing a sufficient distraction for the limited number of Qar'taan aircraft to bombard Kaltoy's spaceports. Kelvaaro was chosen to act as one of the several ground commanders, which brought him fear upon being informed of it.

The Sangheili soldier had not transitioned to the rank of Ultra well, still feeling pangs of guilt for his part in N'thus 'Dattinee's death. Moreover, he still had members of his file who continued their barbaric war practices. Shortly before the raid was scheduled to begin, 'Shrykaree decided to take it upon himself to stop the crude ways of his subordinates. Having Vuzo - now his second-in-command - round up all of the Unggoy and Sangheili members of the file, Kelvaaro personally picked out those who displayed their trophies of conflict openly. A handful of Unggoy and Sangheili displayed this behavior, and as such were presented in front of the rest of the file.

Kelvaaro intended on making an example of the few, but he had no intention of killing them. While they practiced the unsavory traditions, from his point of view they were still useful. Their loyalty to the Covenant Empire as a whole had not diminished, and they still obeyed his commands. The troublesome Minors still needed to be taught a lesson, however, and Kelvaaro proceeded to rip off any loot they had on them with force, often yanking off badges or necklaces so hard that pain was caused to the owner of the despicable items. After confiscating the objects, Kelvaaro put them into a pile and took a plasma rifle from Vuzo, melting the heap in little more than burnt rags with a single shot.

With full attention of his file, 'Shrykaree then demanded that any who possessed more of the war trophies back in their barracks dispose of them immediately, lest he give them consequences. The command was met, and Vuzo later complimented Kelvaaro on his strict upholding of honor, much unlike the late N'thus. While pained to be reminded of his old friend's death, the newly-promoted Ultra took pride in the fact that his file had learned of his expectations and principles. Kelvaaro's military unit was now ready for a truly glorious battle against the Kig-Yar of Kaltoy.

"With the fall of Kaltoy comes the rise of the Qar'taan!"

―Kelvaaro rallying his troops shortly before the Battle of Kaltoy.

As the Qar'taan trudged through the swamps of Pur, Kelvaaro and his men were one of the first lances to reach Kaltoy, opening fire the second they saw a Kig-Yar patrol. After securing a communication outpost, Kelvaaro ordered his troops to hold their position, having Vuzo monitor Kig-Yar comm traffic in case reinforcements were sent after them. None came, and Kelvaaro contacted three fellow Ultras also leading troops through the marshes, requesting that they come to his location. Once they arrived, the Covenant would have numbers strong enough to repel a Kig-Yar counterattack, meaning that they could do with the comms as they pleased.

Several hours in, the force of roughly a hundred troops had barricaded themselves in the comms outpost, well-set to defend it if the Kig-Yar retaliated. Due to having control over the pirates' communication array, Vuzo was able to destroy the connection. This left the marauders isolated in pockets of the city, just in time for the Field Master to storm in from another side with the main contingent of the Qar'taan Legion.

Kelvaaro and his compatriots kept in contact with the Field Master, growing excited but also slightly jealous as their commander reported mounting victories. By the time nearly a third of the city had been cleared out, Banshee and Phantom aircraft had been deployed to bombard the remaining strongholds. Kaltoy's spaceports had been demolished, leaving few ships left for the Kig-Yar to commandeer. Eventually, the last remnants of the pirates that had forced them to remain in the marshes for a year had scattered, either retreating to smaller settlements on Pur or attempting to retake smaller outposts.

In the latter case, only a file of T'vaoan Kig-Yar were even successful in arriving at their target. Their target just so happened to be the comms base that Kelvaaro had captured, which was vital to their plans to alert their allies across the planet. However, zealous tendencies provoked by their Field Master and anger pent up from the harassment of the Kig-Yar pirates over the last year had left Kelvaaro eager to fight, and he went out ahead of the other files with Vuzo to deal with the mercenaries himself. His Sangheili and Unggoy followed his commands to the letter, efficiently using the facility's barricades for cover and systematically picking off the skirmishing avians one by one.

Despite his bloodlust, Kelvaaro still retained his honor. He ordered his men to be precise with their shots, as to make the pirates' deaths quick and painless. Several objected to this, wishing to exact revenge in a more drawn-out way, but were quickly put in their place by Vuzo 'Rahamee, who reminded them of their code of honor as righteous warriors of the Covenant. 'Shrykaree's tactics worked, and while behind cover his file nearly exterminated the enemy group. The last few were gunned down by the Ultra's plasma rifle, and with Kaltoy finally conquered after more than a year in the swamps, the rest of Pur quickly fell too. The Kig-Yar pirates' day of reckoning had come.

Fall of Iko-thi

"The heretics shall learn the true wrath of the Covenant Empire in the days to come! We may have had devastating losses at Pur and Eruko, but it will be nothing compared to our cleansing fury that will be brought down upon the blasphemers on Iko-thi! Yuk'narok belongs to only one faction, and that is the holy Covenant!"

―Fleet Master Oda 'Kragumee vowing to eradicate the heretics in control of the Yuk'narok system.

With Pur's pirate rebellion thoroughly stomped out, the Invoking Thought alongside many other ships returned to the planet, ready to be loaded with troops who were tired of the marshes and eager to move on. Kelvaaro and Vuzo returned to their dorms aboard the battlecruiser, having taken command of an entire file since they had last been aboard the ship. After a year of torturous, slow-paced warfare on Pur, they were finally ready to storm Iko-thi in a manner similar to that of Oquar.

The capital ships possessed by the heretical Sangheili still remained, but with the Kig-Yar pirate fleet removed from the equation, one finl push was all that was required to take back Yuk'narok. The moon of Eruko had fallen, and Fleet Master Oda 'Kragumee was determined not to make the same mistakes that dragged out the conflict previously. After a handful of days, the leader of the Resolute Scrutiny announced his intent, vowing to the hundreds of thousands of warriors that their efforts would not be in vain.

The Fleet of Resolute Scrutiny launched its assault, and the Thought was one of several vessels sent to the surface to deploy its infantry. The Covenant had no intention of razing one of their own worlds, so it was seen as fit that they took the planet with ground troops to ensure victory. Kelvaaro and his file were assigned with the rest of the Qar'taan Legion to storm the Fortress of D'othkilir, a stronghold used by heretic leadership.

They inserted straight into the structure via gravity lift, and despite still being a fresh member of the Evocati, Kelvaaro's previous displays of his adherence to Covenant honor codes saw his file mechanically obey his every order. They fought their way through corridors of unsuspecting Sangheili and Unggoy, slaughtering them with little difficulty due to their newfound advantage of surprise. 'Shrykaree was not given the honor of going for the headquarters of the fortress where their enemy's wretched leaders had holed up. That duty fell to the Qar'taan Field Master.

After a mere few hours, the Ultra and his file had killed fifty heretics, roughly two-and-a-half times their own numbers. Of course, quite a few of his own Unggoy and Sangheili had been lost, but D'othkilir had been taken with the quick efficiency of the Oquar station. Kelvaaro had Vuzo round up the bodies of the warriors they had lost, deeming it fit that they be given as noble a funeral as possible for dying in honorable combat. While 'Shrykaree was initially unsure of how to honor their fallen brothers, Vuzo 'Raham suggested igniting them with plasma as a makeshift funeral pyre.

Agreeing with his Major friend's idea, Kelvaaro and his file took the corpses of their brothers outside of the fortress, lighting them ablaze with plasma flares. While they had fallen, it had been in battle, giving them the best deaths one could hope for. As the flames leapt up, the Fleet of Resolute Scrutiny descended from the skies, having decimated the heretic flotilla. Having survived his first campaign and coming out the other side of it not as a Major, but an Ultra, Kelvaaro felt satisfaction he had not possessed since the beginning of the year-long campaign.

Heretic leaders across Iko-thi had surrendered themselves as their capital cities were stormed, and they were brought aboard Oda 'Kragumee's flagship, a CAS-class assault carrier. Here, the Fleet Master broadcasted his prisoners to not only the fleet, but the high council themselves. As Kelvaaro watched the broadcast, Oda asked the Hierarchs what fate they wished upon the heretics. The response was death, and the Fleet Master systematically beheaded each of the heretics. While gruesome, Kelvaaro was impressed with the ceremony. After all, the heretics had violated sacred laws and religion, something which was punishable by death. From the Ultra's view, the bloody close to the Yuk'narok Campaign was one well-deserved.