Flame

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The Flame Unit Background Role Criminal Empire Garrison The Burning Keep Unit Motto We burn. We spread. We are the Flame. Personnel Unit size 9,300 operatives Current Commander 'Skivich Subordinate Units Oru 'Vanuxee's gang Heralds of Fire Current Status Thriving
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"The Sangheili are fractured. But why should I give a damn about their 'righteous' conflicts? It makes the Flame money, so let the Remnants sort it out."

―'Skivich choosing the Flame's neutrality in the Blooding Years.

The Flame is a military-based crime empire forged in a barren desert on Venezia. Founded by the Sangheili outcast 'Skivich, it was a small organization to begin with, but has expanded since, gaining a small Capital ship and a Storm Cutter in the process. it is notorious for being the only major Sangheili-run crime group in an underworld of humans and Kig-Yar. It's main enforcers are the Heralds of Fire, which bend their enemies to 'Skivich's will.

One notable one, is the former Fleetmaster Oru 'Vanuxee, who leads his own small gang on missions personally from 'Skivich himself. Another well known character is the rogue mercenary Grono 'Yendam, former Shipmaster of a CPV-Class Destroyer. Grono works for many employers, but takes jobs mainly from 'Skivich, who introduced him to the life of a mercenary. With the Created suppressing all major governments, the Flame has taken advantage of that, and plundered more than other larger organizations. They are mainly stationed in a large fortress city in the Venezian desert, the Burning Keep.

History

Creation

"Let's see how the Kig-Yar like it when we impede on their territory."

―'Skivich voicing his thoughts on how Kig-Yar would react to the Flame's creation.

The Flame was formed as a small gang of Sangheili under the Malurok native 'Skivich, one of the sole survivors of the 'Skivich massacre. Gaining a small following on Venezia, the Flame broke major rules by killing and stealin from others, but could never be caught by the Venezian Militia. Capturing a Spirit full of slaves, the Flame put them to work, creating their own base of operations called the Burning Keep. Substantially larger, the Flame accepted Unggoy, Kig-Yar, and Jiralhanae into it's ranks, with the original Sangheili promoted to Heralds of Fire, the group's main enforcers. Much stronger, the Flame now considered itself an empire, no matter how small.

Soon, the Flame would gain itself a powerful, but small asset. On a boring, uneventful day, 'Skivich was contacted by a Herald, claiming that a pair of Sangheili and an Unggoy had killed several Kig-Yar and Jiralhanae, and had stolen a Spirit. In one of the only times in his life, 'Skivich was angry and embarrassed, so the Sangheili ordered a squadron of Phantoms and his personal Lich to chase the vehicle. Capturing it with ease, the perpetrators were brought to the Burning Keep where 'Skivich confronted them. The crew was miniscule, only having a single Unggoy, and a pair of Sangheili. Proclaiming himself as the dictator of the Flame, and stating that he had given the Sangheili a foothold in the world of crime. He prepared to have the Heralds of Fire execute them, when a Sangheili spoke up, and announced he was Oru 'Vanuxee, and that he was a Fleetmaster. Interested, 'Skivich asked Oru if he'd want a position as a mercenary in the Flame. Because he was Sangheili, he'd have a high position. Oru agreed, on the terms of leading his own small gang with the other Sangheili, Boro 'Vasaanee and the Unggoy, Dipdip.

'Skivich went with the terms, and the trio was freed. They were returned to the Spirit, which had been heavily modified with a compacted slipspace drive. 'Skivich did not go easy however, and immediately ordered them on their first mission. That was to attack a Jiralhanae convoy in New Tyne to steal supplies. Oru reported to 'Skivich that the mission was complete, and the crime lord stated that they were very good at the job. A month later, 'Skivich sent them on another mission to boost the Flame's muscle. This mission was to capture a CRS-Class Light Cruiser, a Capital ship that would give the Flame an advantage over others. While the gang undertook the mission, 'Skivich started to expand the Flame's grasp in power, having his minions take part in activities undertook by other groups, and killing his enemies by hiring hitmen and assassins to do his dirty work.

The gang eventually returned with the Capital Ship, and 'Skivich thanked them, christening the ship, Rogue Destruction. He then elevated to Oru 'Vanuxee to a Herald of Fire, and gave him the chance to be the Rogue 's Shipmaster like the old days. Oru however declined, and shed his Fleetmaster armor as a sign that he was no longer part of the Covenant, but opted to keep his "-ee" suffix for some reason, while Boro 'Vasaan gladly abandoned his. So 'Skivich gave the command to his right hand man, Zovun. The Flame had gained notoriety, but was known as a miniscule organization compared to other, much more seasoned, gangs.

'Skivich also started offering his best Heralds as mercenaries willing to do pay. 'Skivich would then split the credits with the Herald, and often reward them. Due to all the money 'Skivich was gaining by stealing from Merchant shipments and receiving pay from his mercenaries, the Sangheili then set up an arms dealership to sell weapons that he bought or obtained for a decent price. Although not popular at first, buyers soon came to see 'Skivich as a reliable arms dealer, and his business started booming. Expanding the Burning Keep's land exponentially, 'Skivich had done many things to aid the Flame.

'Skivich's empire now had many species, such as the Sangheili, Jiralhanae, Unggoy, Kig-Yar, and even a few Lekgolo and humans. While planting infiltrating humans in the Militia to cause dissent and keep them occupied, 'Skivich had large gangs of his followers organize together to keep other crime groups from taking his territory. The Flame also received an offer from a gangster named Percy Vocerif who offered to ally with him, for exchange in Herald work, arms, and protection from each other's enemies. 'Skivich accepted, and the Flame was now in it's Golden Age.

Golden Age

"Your Heralds may be good. But maybe you should try out human assassins, or even any other species for a try."

―Percy Vocerif explaining his thoughts on 'Skivich's favoring of Sangheili.

Slipping into 2555, 'Skivich was looking for a potential new ally, deciding that Vocerif's gang would not be enough to defend the Flame's whole interests. The Screechers had fallen due to treachery from within, and Oru 'Vanuxee's gang had many new members, and worked as 'Skivich's personal mercenaries. Having taken advantage of the former mercenary Kig-Yar dissent, Oru had claimed a DAS-Class Storm Cutter for the Flame, giving them another large ship. 'Skivich was content with more defense, rechristening it Burning Deception, but still sought an ally. That chance came a few months later when a group of the Flame's followers stumbled upon a CRS-Class Light Cruiser manned by militarized Sangheili and Unggoy. Easily being captured by the battle-hard veterans, 'Skivich was notified and sent the Rogue Destruction and the Burning Deception to destroy the ship. 'Skivich expected an easy battle, but soon two more ships came to reinforce the first, and eventually 'Skivich surrendered.

The Rogue Destruction was boarded, and 'Skivich's Heralds prepared to put a fight, but 'Skivich ordered them to lay down their arms. 'Skivich was then greeted a Sangheili donning Zealot armor, and the crime lord asked who they were. The Zealot replied with the notion that they were Storm Covenant, the successor to the old empire. 'Skivich laughed at this, but the Zealot's response was to jab a gun muzzle to 'Skivich's face. The Zealot stated that these ships were only a small part of a fleet, and that they had an Assault Carrier. 'Skivich was bemused, but quickly regained his stature, claiming that he had many underworld contacts, and that maybe he could broker a deal with the Storm Covenant's leader. The Zealot grumbled, and summoned an Unggoy to contact the leader, never taking his eye off of the deceitful Sangheili. Eventually, a hologram of a large Sangheili Supreme Commander appeared, and asked 'Skivich what he could do for the Storm Covenant. 'Skivich said that he had many arms, and willing mercenaries, not to mention spies. The Sangheili introduced himself as Jul 'Mdama, and said that they could rendezvous on the planet Hesduros. 'Skivich agreed.

Arriving on the frontier world, 'Skivich, the Heralds of Fire, and Zovun were escorted to a small keep where a large contingent of Zealots awaited. 'Skivich met with Jul 'Mdama, who although large, was dwarfed by 'Skivich. They exchanged their greetings, and talked, eventually coming to an agreement. 'Skivich would supply the Storm Covenant with arms and mercenaries, and the Storm Covenant would protect them in times of need. Having a new ally, 'Skivich left, this time having an ally who he could relate to. The alliance would go on well until Jul 'Mdama readied his forces to help the awakened Forerunner, the Didact, fight humanity. 'Skivich sent arms, but the Storm Covenant did not seem to need troops, with their new allies the Prometheans. Soon though, the Didact perished, and the Storm Covenant started to take heavy losses, so the Flame sent it's mercenaries, killing a Spartan behind enemy lines once. 'Skivich started to realize that the Storm Covenant might lead to the Flame's end, but the crime lord kept on fulfilling his promise. 'Skivich had the Flame set up more trade too, and soon business with others was booming. One such deal was where the Flame would buy supplies from the Clearing House of Kig-Yar Nor Fel, who was well-known on Venezia. Many Sangheili would also patrol New Tyne, hanging out in bars and alleyways.

After the assassination of Jul 'Mdama, 'Skivich decided that it was time to move on. Ordering Oru 'Vanuxee and his crew to steal supplies from the Covenant that the Flame had gifted them, he planned to maybe even steal another Capital Ship. Oru returned with the supplies and something more-the Sangheili Grono 'Yendam. Grono followed Oru’s gang to the entrance where they met 'Skivich, who introduced himself as the dictator of the Flame. The crime lord had Oru’s gang leave so he could talk to Grono in private. 'Skivich gave Grono an offer to work for him as a mercenary, and 'Skivich would supply him with the necessary equipment. Grono asked about other contractors, and 'Skivich said Grono could do other missions too, as long as they didn’t interfere with his plans. Grono took up 'Skivich’s offer and abandoned his Zealot armor to forget his past in the dead Storm Covenant, and donned a set of Warrior armor.

Soon after, the alliance known as the Created Conflict attacked, devastating multiple planets. With the governments out of the picture, the Flame had a bigger range of influence. 'Skivich has since then broadened his influence, sending the Heralds and Oru's gang to do his dirty work, while maintaining his alliance with Percy Vocerif, and paying Grono 'Yendam to do high-risk missions for him. The Flame had been careful in their dealings also, and has stayed off the Created's radar so far.

In early 2559, however, Oru 'Vanuxee and his gang secretly started to hunt a pair of Spartans that were pursuing Grono 'Yendam after the latter assassinated a high ranking UNSC naval officer. Successful in protecting Grono, the group returned to their post, while 'Yendam discovered that 'Skivich knew about the plot, due to the fact that Percy Vocerif had anonymously hired Grono to execute the target, who was his estranged brother Ray Vocerif. Having discovered 'Skivich's dealings, Grono cut contact with the Flame shortly after. 'Skivich also started communicating with a secretive Sangheili named Elva T'Soram, who promised to greatly increase the Flame's power if she and her brother were gifted high positions in the organization.

Several months later, this pact came to fruition, when a controversial Swords of Sanghelios Fleet Master named Ronno T'Soramai defected from the alliance and met up with 'Skivich in unknown space. The clever but arrogant Swordsman was satisfied with the prospect of becoming one of 'Skivich's highest commanders, and the T'Soram siblings were both immediately bestowed the title of Herald of Fire. With the Flame's manpower drastically increased, as well as an entire fleet at its behest, 'Skivich took extra care to keep it from falling into the hands of the Created, or worse, one of his own commanders.

Zovun, due to his naval experience and close proximity as 'Skivich's second in command, was granted ceremonial command of Ronno's assault carrier, while the Fleet Master continued his duties as the ship's tactical and legitimate commander. Elva was put to work as one of the commanders of the Flame's espionage, and the T'Soram siblings came into 'Skivich's inner circle, albeit he was still cautious of them. Oru 'Vanuxee had not approved of the siblings' ways, but put up with them nonetheless.

Businesses

• Mercenary Work - The Flame offered up many of its followers as mercenaries to other factions, especially Heralds of Fire. They would usually get the job done, and the Flame would be payed, splitting the money with its mercenaries. 'Skivich would also commonly use his most loyal Heralds to capture objectives to suit 'Skivich's or the Flame's own ends, paying them with the Flame's credits. One such example is Oru 'Vanuxee and his gang.
• Drugs - The Flame sold many kinds of drugs, ranging from Covenant-used to human ones. Most of the human-related ones have been supplied by Percy Vocerif's gang, which does drug trade with the Flame.
• Arms Dealing - The Flame has many extra weapons as a result of its thievery, and 'Skivich has decided to make use of that, selling arms to whoever will buy at a decent price. 'Skivich sent many arms to the Storm Covenant during their war, but has tried taking back what he could after they fractured.

Equipment

The Flame has many ground and air vehicles that it uses for its "Flashfire" raids, mainly Covenant, but a few human too. Since the Flame is stationed on Venezia, its forces are mainly deployed there. In terms of space ships, the Flame has few, mainly a few dropships equipped with Slipspace drives. However, they do have two larger ships though:

• Rogue Destruction, CRS-Class Light Cruiser, commanded by Shipmaster Zovun
• Burning Deception, DAS-Class Storm Cutter, commanded by Shipmaster Jor 'Vumm

Key Members

• 'Skivich - Serves as the dictator of the Flame, having been its founder. Also known as the Merciless for his tendency to execute his enemies ruthlessly. 'Skivich has been responsible for expanding the Flame exponentially, setting up all of its trades, and presiding over it with an iron fist.

• Zovun - Serves as 'Skivich's second-in-command, as he has been in the Flame since its birth. Zovun manages tasks for 'Skivich, and carries out his orders with efficiency, previously serving as the Shipmaster of the Rogue Destruction. After Fleet Master Ronno T'Soramai joined the organization's ranks, Zovun was given ceremonial command of a new ship, a CAS-class assault carrier. Zovun usually accompanies his accomplice anywhere, and is currently the overseer of the Heralds of Fire.

• Jor 'Vuum - Serves as the Shipmaster of the Burning Deception. Usually goes on scouting missions or leads Flashfire raids conducted by 'Skivich.

• Oru 'Vanuxee - Serves as one of the most skilled and esteemed Heralds of Fire. He was once a Fleet Master in the Covenant, but refused the position of Shipmaster for the Rogue Destruction. Oru 'Vanuxee does personal mercenary work for 'Skivich, and leads his own mercenary gang of Kig-Yar, Unggoy, and Sangheili.

• Grono 'Yendam - Works as a mercenary for many factions, but mainly the Flame. Grono 'Yendam was once a subordinate soldier of Oru 'Vanuxee in the Covenant, but went rogue as a pirate captain before turning to mercenary work. He had never failed a mission for 'Skivich, but cut off contact to the faction after discovering one of 'Skivich's dark secrets.

• Dipdip - A deranged Unggoy suffering from PTSD, he served as the juggernaut of Oru 'Vanuxee's gang. Although a common Unggoy, he was usually the first to stand out with his many scars and his fuel rod gun. Dipdip was apprehended by the UNSC though, and has since not been in contact with the Flame.

• Ronno T'Soramai - A younger Sangheili with a similar mindset to 'Skivich, the Fleet Master abandoned his post with the Swords of Sanghelios at the onslaught of the Created Conflict. Pledging his loyalty to Lord 'Skivich, Ronno drastically expanded the Flame's power, both in numbers and warships. This act gifted him the rank of Herald of Fire as well as the continued ownership of his fleet.

• Elve T'Soram - The sister of Ronno, she kept in contact with the Flame for several months before convincing her brother that profit lied with the criminal organization. She is currently in command of a CCS-class battlecruiser in his fleet. Elva also holds the rank of Herald of Fire, and the title of Shipmistress.

Rank Structure

[Temp]	List of Ranks in the Flame
Mercenary/Trader
Herald of Fire
Shipmaster
Dictator

Trivia

• The Flame was originally supposed to be remnant faction lead by Grono 'Yendam.

• (DISCLAIMER) The image in the infobox belongs to Armorheart, who drew the picture for the character and was kind enough to let the author use it.