Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group

Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group was one of about a hundred of Covenant remnants faction, founded and led by Vata 'Gajat. 
== History ==
Initially, Vata was a proud member of the Covenant, under orders of Jul 'Mdama, though it is unknown if he was an officer or mercenary. 
Anyway, in an unknown date, but prior to 2558, Vata saw the promise of human capitalism and broken all ties with Jul's people, beginning working for whoever pays him best.
== Battle of Ealen IV ==
His group's first known contract was made by Captain Daniel Clayton, who hired them to disrupt a peace conference. On March 5, 2558, with the UNSC Infinity providing security. An UNSC-Sangheili-Brute fleet arrived over Ealen IV. Admiral Terrence Hood Thomas Lasky and Thel 'Vadam meet in the surface, each with a military escort, where they rendezvoused with the Jiralhanae Chieftain Lydus. Vata's forces seen their work greatly aided by Clayton's information about the conference, and also the internal help of the SPARTAN traitor Vladimir Scruggs. The delegates met to negotiate peace between the Sangheili and the Jiralhanae. During the talks, a strike team of Sangheili Rangers infiltrated the hall, killing the Sangheili's troops and placing charges along the outside wall of the council chamber. Commander Sarah Palmer, who was attempting to communicate with the UNSC Infinity through Ealen IV's powerful nuclear storms, found one of the dead Commandos while trying to obtain a signal. She rushed back to the council chamber while trying to warn Scruggs, but was interrupted when the council chamber was blown apart.
The delegates evacuated, escorted by the SPARTANs, but their Pelican was destroyed by three Covenant Banshees, and the party made an attempt to escape the depot and head for a redoubt not far from their location. Vata, along with Clayton, disembarked to lead the assault on the redoubt, but they found him empty: the ambassadors and SPARTANS have escaped by an underground tunnel. The SPARTANs managed to destroy a Ghost, but later they were confronted by a Covenant Lich. After a short battle took place, leading to the Lich's destruction, Several SPARTANs were ordered to stay behind as protection to the Ambassadors while Fireteam Jackknife was ordered to scout ahead with Jiralhanae and Sangheili bodyguards to ensure the redoubt was secure enough for them to take shelter in.Halo: Escalation - Issue 2
When the party had entered the redoubt, Palmer ordered DeMarco and Fireteam Bailey to sweep the courtyard for anything they could use to defend themselves. They discovered an old Covenant tug that they could use for their escape, but it was too small to carry everyone, and ten Heavy Jul 'Mdama's Covenant Cruisers were bearing down on the redoubt. DeMarco stayed behind and used an old AA cannon with no targeting system to defend the tug as it traveled back to the Infinity, successfully stopping Vata's forces from destroying the tug but sacrificing his life. Vata's main fleet, after seeing that they've failed, escaped via a Slipspace jump. Halo: Escalation - Issue 3
Despite the failure on Ealev IV, Clayton kept the contract active, this time, to ambush and destroy the Infinity. 
'Gajat and Captain Clayton lured Admiral Hood and the UNSC Infinity into a trap. They launched a freighter, the Pilgrim's Pride, which sent out a distress signal that was later picked up by UNSC Infinity. When Infinity arrived in the Artesia-702 system, it found the damaged freighter leaking atomic matter with faint life signs aboard and tugged the ship into one of its deployment bays. An ambush was sprung within the bay when the freighter set itself to self-destruct and multiple UNSC aircraft exited its cargo bay. The attack was repelled by Fireteams Majestic, Colossus, and Fenrir.
After the battle, Infinity crew discovered, after running an I.D. check on the AC-220 Vultures and AV-22 Sparrowhawk used on the ambush, that the assault crafts used were from the Spirit of Fire.
== Oth Lodon Skirmish ==
Roland discovered the Pilgrims Pride was supposedly built five years ago, despite its assault craft being from the Spirit of Fire, which has been missing for 30 years. Sarah Palmer suggested the craft were smuggled off beforehand, but Roland disagreed as the craft were in too good of condition. Moving on, he revealed the ship's logs were wiped and then filled with false data. Despite that, he was able to retrieve the real data, coordinates from where it originated: Oth Lodon, a gas giant located deep in Jiralhanae space.
With the Spirit's possible location found, Palmer expressed that the ship might not even be there and that it might be a trap. Lord Hood authorized Palmer to conduct a search-and-rescue mission without being detected. Equipped with OF92 Booster Frames, Palmer and Fireteam Majestic scouted Oth Lodon's system. Exploring an asteroid field, the Spartans came across not the Spirit of Fire, but instead an SDV-class heavy corvette docked at a Covenant station. Palmer restored communications to inform Infinity about the discovery.
Soon after, Infinity jumps in system right in front of the space station. Expecting this, Clayton opened a channel to Infinity. Talking to Hood, he identified him as being the one who sent his mother and him money because he was the one responsible for the Spirit's disappearance. Upset at feeling like he never accomplished anything, he turned to Admiral Mattius Drake when he offered him an opportunity. Revealing that he had intended for Spartan Vladimir Scruggs to kill Hood on Ealen IV, he announced that he lured Infinity to the station to kill Hood. He ordered the station's glassing cannon to fire on Infinity, piercing all the way through the side of the ship.
The station rapidly fired two more shots through Infinity, crippling the ship and incapacitating its bridge crew; Commander Bradley was killed while Admiral Hood was paralyzed. The attacks quickly overheated the cannon, requiring some time to recharge. In the meantime, Palmer and Fireteam Majestic were deployed to board the station and stop Clayton using Booster Frames. The insurgents detected the Spartans and opened fire with the station's missile batteries on Clayton's orders. However, the Spartans successfully evaded the missiles.
Clayton ordered Shipmaster 'Gajat to stop the Spartans, but 'Gajat, in a burst of ambition, saw Infinity as the more valuable target and decided to destroy it instead. While Spartan Hoya noticed 'Gajat's flagship undocking from the station, the Spartans decided to board the station anyway. 'Gajat received a distress signal from Clayton, but ignored it, instead proceeding with his plan to destroy Infinity. Palmer and Majestic entered the station's command center and forced the crew to cease their operations, ignoring Clayton's orders to the contrary. Spartan Madsen knocked Clayton out as revenge for DeMarco's death on Ealen IV. 'Gajat contacted the station to tell Clayton he was about to destroy the Infinity, but was answered by Palmer instead. Palmer ordered Spartan Thorne to fire the cannon, destroying 'Gajat's ship and killing him. It is very doubtful that his group survived at his death.
== Group's composition ==
=== Ground forces ===
Like most Covenant Remnants factions, Vata's was like a mini-Covenant: their ground forces included Unggoy, Kig-Yar, and Mgalekgolo, but the officers and main force were the Sangheili. Only the Brute were absent.
=== Space forces ===
Vata's command ship was an SDV-class heavy corvette, but also included five Covenant cruisers Minor ships seen were Banshees, Ghosts, Spirits, and ground forces counted with Lichs.
== Sources ==