Sebastian T. Shelby

"This is Lord Sebastian T. Shelby, all personnel take heed; stand your ground. Make them pay for every inch and regret ever crossing this fleet. I look forward to seeing you on the other side."

- excerpt from Sebastian T. Shelby's speech during the Battle of Midvale, 2526

Admiral Lord Sebastian T. Shelby, 37th Viscount of Whitelaw was a well-regarded flag officer who died during the early years of the Human-Covenant War.

Cold War and Insurrection
As the Viscounty had a long tradition of military service, beginning with General Sir Montgomery A. Shelby during the Rainforest Wars, Sebastian was encouraged - indeed, expected - to enlist within the UNSC. He undertook his officer training at the Academy at Mare Nubium, and upon receiving his commission in 2481 was initially posted on the UNSC A Time To Kill, an old that was serving out its final years in SolCore. Frustrated with such a quiet posting, he pulled some of his family's connections in order to transfer him further out into the colonies. He transferred onto several ships that served closer and closer to the boundary that defined the UNSC's and CMA's designated security zones, where the tension of the UNSC-CMA Cold War and with the Outer Colonials began to have an effect on the young man. His professionalism, calmness, and ability to carefully choose his words were crucial in avoiding several instances where encounters with CMA ships could have turned bloody. The most famous being the Tripoli Incident, where a CMA ship was damaged by an unknown attacker and under paranoia thought it was from a UNSC vessel. It was Shelby who volunteered to negotiate, and not only convinced them to stand down but even receive UNSC assistance. When his family requested that he retire and return home, Shelby refused, knowing he could do more on the frontlines.

Although Shelby was considered to join the UNSC's diplomatic corps, the outbreak of the Insurrection, and the subsequent crisis of rebellion, the rise of the Secessionist Union, and the subsequent infighting in the CMA's ranks allowed him to instead take charge of a warship, the light destroyer UNSC Galahad. He garnered himself a reputation for restraint, respectful charisma, and preference for action to reinforce his intentions, though this put him at constant risk. He lost the Galahad in 2496 protecting a hospital ship, and was injured after clashing with turncoat CMA ships in the Greydowns. Still, he earned himself numerous allies for his deeds, which eventually culminated in him becoming a commodore-admiral in 2506. His first command of a battle group in the Apollo Sector established the signature hallmarks of his command style; to place an emphasis on civilian disaster relief and support, and enforce a strict rules-of-engagement to avoid causing unnecessary damage. It was also at this time that he took command of his favorite command ship, the Hermes-class light cruiser UNSC Elysium.

With the death of his father Lenard in 2513, Shelby was appointed the 37th Viscount of Whitelaw, but the need for experienced officers forced him to remain in the field. Now a Vice-Admiral, Shelby was now responsible for conducting Operation: TREBUCHET's naval matters across the Madara Fringe and Aquilla Region, organized under the UNSC's 19th Expeditionary Fleet. However, by this time the disappointments and setbacks with his command style were beginning to mount. The hardened United Liberation Front insurgents were able to keep the UNSC forces under attack from all sides, and despite his direct orders against it, revenge bombings on civilian populations were being conducted. Meanwhile, attrition on his fleet of frigates and destroyers and a lack of cooperation from the local corrupt CMA garrisons were spreading Shelby's fleet thin. With mounting criticism, Shelby was eventually replaced as regional fleet commander in 2516. Instead, now at a desk job, he focused himself on reforming the UNSC Navy's training regimen. Though he was successful in part of improving their skill, his suggestions to improve discipline were generally ignored.

Human-Covenant War
When the Human-Covenant War erupted, Shelby requested to be reassigned back to a frontline role, a request that was not accepted until late 2527. By this point, the threat of the Covenant was now well-demonstrated with the loss of several colonies. As a result, Shelby was given command of the UNSC's Eighth Colonial Fleet, largely made up of reactivated reserve warships from both UNSC and the now-defunct CMA's inventory. He was assigned to protect the Hydra Region, in the event the Covenant attempt to outflank the UNSC's defenses in the Asgard Stratum or threaten the regional breadbasket of Midvale. A forty ship-strong battle group, led by his friend Rear Admiral Dustin Troy, were later dispatched to protect Nuevo Cuzco due to ONI's intelligence reports that it may be raided by a small Covenant fleet. These inaccurate reports would later lead to the bloodshed that was to follow.

In 2528, the colony of Midvale came under attack from a detachment from the Combined Fleet of Virtuous Ascendancy. Seeing that he was heavily outnumbered, Shelby attempted to recall Troy's ships to reinforce himself. Unfortunately, fatal communications problems meant that he was unaware that they had already been destroyed by the very same fleet two days before. As a result, the 44-strong armada he committed to the battle was badly defeated, with 34 ships lost during a battle that lasted less than an hour. Among its number was Shelby's flagship, the Elysium, where the admiral was injured and had to be evacuated by his surviving staff. The battle was over so quickly that ninety percent of Midvale's total civilian population would be executed by Covenant aerial and orbital bombardment, and the loss of the sector's largest agricultural center caused food shortages among all nearby colonies.

Such a massive loss of life had a profound effect on Shelby, who had never before experienced the Covenant's might and superiority. Vowing to fight as hard and as long as possible to prevent another massacre like Midvale, as he recovered he began making huge changes to what remained of the Eighth Fleet. Only MAC-armed vessels remained in his battle line, and the older Ares missiles were either concentrated or replaced with Archer missiles wherever possible. More importantly, he changed up his overall strategic plans: battle groups charged with the same operation had to provide mutual support so they could not be destroyed in detail, and a commitment to establishing well-fortified defense lines designed to cause maximum casualties for Covenant forces. And, above all, he intensified drilling to ensure that his crews will not falter in battle.

As a result of these changes, the Hydra Front would become among the bloodiest and most fiercely-fought theaters at the time during the Covenant War. Between 2528 and 2533, Shelby led his fleet in the course of eight campaigns: Jagati, Viridian, Pumice, Helios Secundus, Yihsin, Bohemia, and Boundary. Yihsin was a stunning success, where he baited the Covenant into attacking a colony that had already been completely evacuated, causing them to expend both time and resources fighting over a worthless rock. Later, he received a reprimand at Boundary for overruling ONI's order to ground an evacuation ship, allowing a sizable number of the Insurrectionists there to escape. In the end, not a single one of these battles would be won in the end, however each inflicted devastating losses on the Covenant and allowed most of the civilians in the region to be resettled in the Inner Colonies. As planned, massed raids were staged into Covenant space, leading to the near-destruction of a major Covenant naval base at Einjel V. Unfortunately, the Eighth Fleet took horrendous losses; two of his flagships and almost 250 other vessels, more than the 160 they started out with, would be destroyed in battle. For his efforts, he would be knighted in 2532, and promoted to full admiral in 2533. Shelby's stubborn defenses became infamous even among the Covenant, who nicknamed him the "Bulwark Fleetmaster".

Shelby's last battle would be above the military center of Kingston in 2535. The Admiral used the concentrated might of his fleet and the substantial fortifications of the planet to resist the Covenant in a four-month siege. The arrival of Supreme Commander Xytan 'Jar Wattinree and his powerful core fleet towards the end of the battle defeated the Eighth Fleet and forced them to rout. With the survivors under pursuit and knowing they could do no more to protect the colony, Shelby pulled a huge gamble. He charged his flagship towards the Covenant fleet and, after a speech that questioned their pride and honor, challenged their leader to a duel, with the whole act distracting the entire armada enough to allow the rest of the ships under his command to escape without further attacks. In the end, his challenge was taken up by Shipmaster Shiru 'Naganee, who quickly defeated the old admiral in single combat and destroyed his ship in a hail of largely-ceremonial plasma fire.

Legacy
In the immediate aftermath of his death, the Covenant temporarily pulled away from Kingston to celebrate his death. A week-long feast was conducted throughout the entire Combined Fleet in Shelby's name, with Shiru 'Naganee being elevated to the title of Fleetmaster for his achievements. In reality, this was only done as the Covenant fleet had lost most of its cohesion in the preceding months, and they needed time to regroup, rearm, and resupply anyway. However, despite being present at Shelby's last stand, Xytan's refusal to personally dispatch the admiral in single combat was heavily criticized. Combined with his setbacks in the campaign against humanity, both before and after the Battle of Kingston, the supreme commander would soon be promoted and dispatched to protect one of the Covenant's border regions under the Hierarch's orders - an exile in all but name.

The immediate effects of the admiral's death saw widespread morale issues in the local region, with the remnants of the Eighth Fleet being used as reserves to strengthen Vice Admiral George Elliot's Sixteenth Fleet. Unfortunately, the Hydra front would swiftly crumble with Shelby gone. A number of minor habitats, some of which were in strategic positions, were swiftly destroyed by the Covenant, and the Hydra system would be conquered humiliatingly quickly. These issues would only be resolved in time for the Fall of Hollow Point. In the longer term, Shelby's memoirs on ship design and especially officer training would leave an impact, influencing the direction of Project CENTIMANE and its "super-heavy" warships and the training curriculum of several noteworthy naval academies.

Shelby's personal life suffered from his dedication to the military. While Whitelaw did benefit from Sebastian's high rank and connections, he routinely ignored his obligations as Viscount in order to concentrate on his career. He was distant from his own family, and didn't marry nor father a son, forcing the title to be passed on to his niece Jennifer Speers. He had a profound effect on his first officer Nanami Shinano, who studied under him and later adopted much of his command style when she became an admiral.

His death would also have a significant impact on the lives and careers of others. Shipmaster 'Nagan was promoted for his accomplishments and was rewarded with command of the battlecruiser High Harbinger. It was the beginning of not only his prestigious wartime military careers but also his first of many encounters that led to him becoming one of the strongest advocates of the Human-Sangheili alliance that would follow twenty-years later.

Personality and traits
As a child, Shelby was best described as an intelligent, if lonesome and driven, young boy. He isolated himself away from the other children because of his nobility but remained modest and humble. He quickly understood his position as a firstborn commanded no real power, so never ordered people around nor bragged about it. Instead, he knew it meant he had higher standards to meet, and wanted to achieve the goals he set himself and rarely accepted help. He made this up with his near-obsessional dedication to his studies, practicing revisions from his lessons in his free time thanks to pressure from his position to do well. However, he often butted-heads with people who were lazy, unable to understand why they couldn't drive themselves to reach the average mark. This led to several confrontations in which Shelby fought against his classmates in early high school, though fortunately, he became more tolerant and calmer as time went on. He did not pursue relationships even this early, believing it to be a waste of time that could be allocated to his studies - this was also because he saw that the only ones interested romantically envied his nobility status. In fact, he rarely seemed to have fun, with the exception to his swordsman lessons which he enjoyed immensely. Out of school, he was well-mannered, mature and highly disciplined, always being a good host to visitors by politely pampering them. The only downside to this pressure and expectations from his family is that he did encounter minor anxiety which manifested itself as panic attacks during times of stress.

Shelby spoke in a very proper, very well-calculated way with words. His accent was easily identified as being from English nobility, speaking loudly but softly in a way that still commanded attention and respect. He always included his manners and referred to people by their rank and last name, except with people he was close to in which he would refer to their first names or even nicknames, like with the command crews on his flagships. However, he could get quite bombastic when it came to his inspirational speeches, often drawing his sword and pointing it at the enemy.

In his downtime, Shelby enjoyed games of chess. In his later life, he grew a fondness for the game Go, which he played against his first officer Nanami Shinano.

Skills
Owning to his high rank, Shelby was an intelligent and very capable fleet commander. Although not quite as skilled, radical or successful as a number of other famous admirals, he was not set in his ways and willing to adapt to new technologies or threats, which served him well during the rapid change that occurred during his early career. He knew when to micromanage and when to leave his subordinates alone, and his experience as a former communications officer meant that he was well-versed in the art of coordinating his forces. As a result, he is exceptionally good at commanding very large formations of warships over wide areas. Although not the most aggressive admiral the UNSC can call upon, he is level-headed, sensible, and above all fearless - exactly the kind of leader they need during battles with the Covenant.

Shelby also had a key strength that was rarely shared by other admirals in his position, and that was his ability to maintain morale even in difficult situations. He maintained a strict policy to lead from the front and always be a constant presence among his men. He would tour his fleets and eat, drink, and talk with his subordinates, to the point that he learned the names of some junior personnel. This was why he always led his fleets from his flagship in battle - despite the risk, the fact he was willing to enter the jaws of hell rather than sit back in some command station would always inspire his men to fight on. Coupled with his public speaking skills, and distinct, well-liked personality, and it becomes clear why the Eighth Fleet maintained an ironclad morale that was almost impossible to break. Unfortunately, as this meant that Shelby saw the ships under his command as his, each loss was something that took a toll on his mind, even if he used it to redouble his efforts in battle. This took such a toll that the stressed seemed to make far older than he actually was, and secretly turned to various substances to help control himself.

Although this had few, if any combat utility given his position, Shelby was a lifelong practitioner of swordsmanship and a superb fencer. While simply a long tradition in his family, even at an advanced age Shelby maintained strict physical and mental discipline, practicing and sparring to stay sharp and fit. Trained in the art by a dedicated tutor starting at a young age, the man quickly developed a hard, fast style that he made sure to change occasionally, focusing on always adapting to the changing circumstances. He carried around a ceremonial sword everywhere he went, expensively tailored by a master swordsmith to his exacting standards. As expected, it became the most treasured object in his possession, and he used it to exaggerate his pose when giving out orders on the bridge.

Ships

 * UNSC Galahad,, 2492-2496. Light escort ship that served as Shelby's first command. Destroyed while protecting the hospital ship UNSC Mercy.
 * UNSC One Stormy Night,, 2496-2501. Although a frigate, the One Stormy Night was actually almost as well-armed and much better protected than the Galahad, though it was slower due to its intended mission as a convoy escort.
 * UNSC Winds of Change,, 2501-2506. Served as his first command in charge of a unit of other ships, this one being the 82nd frigate flotilla.
 * UNSC Elysium,, 2506-2516, 2527-2528. Shelby's favorite command, the Elysium led the UNSC's 19th Expeditionary Fleet during Operation: TREBUCHET. Although poorly armed, its excellent facilities and spaciousness made it a comfortable flagship while he had it. Destroyed during the Battle of Midvale.
 * UNSC Valhalla,, 2528-2532. The replacement for the Elysium, the Valhalla was procured as it became apparent that any command ship needed to be far tougher and more powerful in order to survive action against the Covenant. Destroyed during the Battle of Yihsin.
 * UNSC Courageous,, 2532-2534. Shelby's final command, the Courageous was one of the Valiant-class cruisers modified with an extensive flag deck and drastically-improved protection. Destroyed during the Battle of Kingston.