Hey everyone! Happy new year!
Well, here it is. It took me forever, but I have a new chapter for this rewrite. I would like to give a shout out to Arisentactica for being my beta reader on this story. He's awesome and did a lot to make this chapter what it is.
Anyways, I guess, I should go finish that chapter of Hidden Danger that I promised to have out before Christmas. (Sorry, to those waiting on it.)
So, without further ado, I give you chapter 2.
(UNSC Headquarters: Next day)
Admiral Osman entered her superior's office with an uncomfortable shuffle. Between the stone faced marine at her back and the visibly agitated Fleet Admiral in front of her, it was obvious that this meeting was not going to be pleasant.
"Admiral Osman here for you sir," the marine announced crisply.
Admiral Hood neither stood, nor returned Osman's salute. Instead he locked eyes with the marine.
"Thank you, Sergeant. That will be all," Admiral Hood responded flatly.
In response, the Sergeant snapped a quick salute, spun around, and marched out of the room. The heavy oak door shut behind him with a loud thud.
"Have a seat," Admiral Hood commanded.
Osman simply nodded as she sat down across the desk from the Admiral.
"What exactly-"
Thump!
The previously unseen file slammed down on Admiral Hood's desk with a noise that echoed off all four walls of the room. Next to it, Admiral Hood laid down a much thinner file.
Admiral Hood began while pointing to the thicker file, "This is the unabridged file that your proposal is based off of. As you can see, the seal has not been broken. Though, the Colonel tells me it is quite the read full of tactically relevant information and groundbreaking discoveries-"
"Little of which has any-"
"I don't give a damn what you think is relevant," Admiral Hood snapped, "You have thirty seconds to begin a proper briefing. If you don't, I will approve this mission, and immediately have you arrested for insubordination and withholding information from a superior. As you are removed from the building, I will file the contents of this second file. You'll be court martialed by the end of the week."
Admiral Osman's face paled before turning bright red with anger. The one time that she wasn't holding a knife behind her back, she had been cornered. The Admiral's previous actions and decisions had forced his hand, and it was something that Osman never wanted to force again.
"Alright, you want a proper briefing," She began with a venom laced calm, "Let's begin…"
What occurred next was the most incredible briefing Admiral Hood had ever heard. For nearly an hour, he listened to Admiral Osman talk, with only the occasional interruption for clarification.
"...As I stressed before, most of this is based on a small amount of data collected in a short amount of time. However, this is all of our Andromeda related intelligence," the ONI Director concluded.
"I see," Admiral Hood answered with a nod, "Normally, I would agree with your assessment of the situation. ONI rarely screws up when gathering and assessing intelligence. However, given that we are oh-for-three on first contact scenarios, this was relevant information. It completely changes the mission and its goals. While I believe you knew this, I no longer have cause to hold you for withholding information. I will take this and your thoughts under advisement."
"Thank you, sir," Admiral Osman acknowledged.
Admiral Hood nodded and continued, "As expected, the orders came down today and I will be acting on your idea. However, what I said yesterday hasn't changed. Get your house in order. ONI doesn't run the show, and the sooner you and your subordinates respect and understand that, the sooner my disposition will improve."
"Understood, sir. Is there anything else?" Osman asked expectantly.
"Yes actually, there is. The Arbiter will be informed of your actions resulting in the 'Blooding Years' as they call it. One way or another, he's gonna find out, and I can't afford to have that bridge burned. Second, I need you to pick out an ONI officer to accompany this mission. I trust you'll want a mission report from one of your own."
Osman paled drastically, and her eyes widened noticeably of the implications of the first action. Though the Arbiter is known to be fair to his allies, those who cross him, well… it doesn't end up very well for them. However, at the end of the day, she was an Admiral and would handle this in a manner becoming of her rank.
"Yes, sir. I'll go," she answered without hesitation.
"You?" Admiral Hood asked with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, Admiral. The Arbiter will be there. As a result, I can come clean to him in a timely manner that will put the matter behind both ONI and the UNSC. Second, we know where we stand with each other. As such, you won't feel like you have to constantly watch your back. Third, if this does go to hell, you'll want an officer with actual military experience. I can provide that," Admiral Osman explained.
Admiral Hood was silent for a minute as he contemplated her answer. This had been the last response he expected.
"First, do you really want to be on the same ship as the Arbiter when you speak to him? Second, I fear your agents about as much as I fear you, which right now is not at all. Third, there will be plenty of qualified officers on the expedition as it is. The last thing we need is another Admiral muddying the chain of command," Admiral Hood objected.
"Yes. It displays, at the very least, an attempt at honor; which is a value that he takes quite seriously. As for your second question, you would also be wise to understand your standing at ONI. As much as you don't like me, I have been running interference between you and the more…" Admiral Osman paused as she considered her choice of words "...shall we say, disgruntled agents within Naval Intelligence."
"I trust that wasn't a threat Admiral," Hood growled as he tapped the court-marshal file.
"No," she answered quickly and firmly, "I'm ambitious, not suicidal. On top of that, I do respect you as a leader. It's the only reason I've let your pet colonel run around unchecked."
Admiral Hood allowed a humorless smirk. It was no secret that he had used the Section 0 colonel to cover his six within ONI. The fact that Admiral Osman was willing to voice her contempt of the man told him all he needed to know about where both men stood with the agency.
After another moment of thought, the Admiral put both files away inside his desk and locked eyes with Admiral Osman.
"No," he answered firmly, "While I appreciate the initiative, I don't need another officer. I need an agent. On top of that, you are the head of ONI— the definition of a 'high value target'. Bringing you along for a first contact scenario when a regular agent would suffice would be both stupid and reckless. You have twenty-four hours. Get me someone good, not stupid or egotistical."
(ISD Executor: three weeks later)
Admiral Piett took a large gulp of caf as he examined the datapad in his other hand. The daily report was just as frustrating as it had been since this whole mission began. The fleet had finished repairs from the battle and was orbiting an unnamed and uncharted planet in the unknown regions. The hushed whispers across the bridge and open conversations in the officers' mess told him the crew was getting as restless as him. A week ago, Vader had briefed the entire crew on what was going to happen with the alliance. While Piett grudgingly agreed with his superior's plan, he did wonder how wise it was to tell the crew. A new round of desertions had promptly followed the declaration, and the fleet's collective nerve had become even more frayed.
"Just another day in paradise," he muttered as he scrolled through the data.
Behind him, the door hissed open. On reflex, Piett spun around and did the closest to a salute his full hands would let him. Vader seemed to ignore it as he came to a stop in front of the officer.
"Admiral Piett, I trust that the droid control modules were installed successfully," Vader began.
As usual, the obvious question held the tone of a declaration.
"Yes, my lord. It took some minor modifications to each ship's systems, but they did integrate successfully. Everything appears to be in working order. However, it will take some time for the crew to acclimate to the new system. They are still picking up the slack of their missing crew members- even if a computer is doing the hard part. The real problem lies in tethering the droids to the fleet. The generation gap is proving to be a problem for our technicians," Admiral Piett answered.
"That was to be expected. I am working on a solution," Vader acknowledged before moving on, "What of the rebel fleet?"
"No luck. We checked along their trajectory and found nothing other than a couple debris fields. At least one ship came apart in hyperspace," Piett explained.
"Has anything changed with the Imperial fleet?" he followed up.
"Tactically, nothing major. From what I've heard, we are officially missing in action. This is corroborated by the deployment of ships in a search pattern. Beyond that, there is little chatter that we can tell," he explained before adding just loud enough for the crew to hear, "Unfortunately, until we link with the fleet, our intelligence resources are slim."
Vader simply nodded.
"Find them, Admiral. We will not be missing for long," Vader ordered before turning for the door.
"Yes sir," the Admiral called after him.
As soon as the doors hissed shut, he discarded the datapad and marched to data collection center on the far-right side of the bridge. An idea had just hit him. It was far out there, but not impossible.
"That frigate, where did it crash at?" he asked without introduction.
The Lieutenant in charge quickly turned to the man sitting at the controls.
"Ensign?"
The young crewman's hands were little more than a blur over the control panel as he raced to find the answer.
"Um… here," the Ensign answered as he pointed to the screen, "Just this side of Helska."
Admiral Piett nodded as he considered the information. His hunch might have more weight than he thought.
"Alright. Gather all of the flight data we have and send it to the holotable," he ordered.
"Yes sir," answered both men in unison.
Ninety seconds later, Admiral Piett was at the table staring at a map of the galaxy, with a straight, red line running across the outer rim at an outward angle.
"Captain," he called out.
"Yes sir," the man responded as he hurried over.
"Where do you see them going?" he asked the Captain.
The captain looked at him with a look of confusion.
"Isn't that what we've been trying-"
"Yes, but I'm talking about the red line. If it were to go on, where do you see it going?" Piett pressed as he zoomed the map out further.
The Captain slowly nodded in understanding as he examined the map. He now understood what his superior was saying and wasn't immediately sure how to respond. Finally, he had his answer.
"Here," he answered as he used his finger to circle a small spot on the edge of the next galaxy over, "If they were to keep going, they would have to end up somewhere in this area. It's close enough to not get lost, and far enough away to regroup in peace. Hell, if they wanted, they could end this madness and just disappear from there."
"They could but they won't. That fleet has invested too much and risked too much to let cowardice consume them now," Admiral Piett responded firmly.
Despite his confident answer, Admiral Piett wasn't sure if he was trying to convince the captain or himself.
"Are you suggesting we send a probe?" the Captain quizzed.
"What would be the flight time?" Piett deflected.
"For them or us?"
"Both."
"Four weeks for them, give or take a day. For the probe, it would be a week with the same margin," the Captain estimated.
"Send one… Consider it a stone that has yet to be turned over," the Admiral ordered.
"Yes sir," the Captain responded skeptically.
∫∆πµπ∆∫
Darth Vader sat in the pressure chamber and took a breath. It was a deep calming breath, not unlike the kind used in Jedi meditation. In fact, there was no difference there. It was what happened in the mind that separated Sith from Jedi.
Slowly the force took Vader out of the physical world and deep into the darkside. Screams cried out from his memory. Blaster shots echoed in the distance. Explosions rocked his conscious. As time progressed, images came with the noises.
Vader found himself standing on a planet he knew well. The sand crunched under his boots, while the heat threatened to bake him in his black suit. In front of him was a humble dwelling. The acrid smell of billowing smoke told him there wasn't much left of the half-buried structure. Scorch marks painted the tan structure, while two incinerated bodies told the fate of those who lived here.
"Was it worth it?" Asked a voice dripping with curiosity laced contempt.
Startled, Vader turned to see his old master standing there. Obi Wan stood tall and proud with his back to the Sith Lord. The man caused Darth Vader to bristle, but he resisted the urge to draw his lightsaber. He had been in these visions enough to know the man was not a threat.
Obi Wan turned around and locked eyes with Darth Vader. His face was set in grim determination, while flames burned in the man's black eyes. His robes were coated in grey ash, and black where embers had burned through the cloth.
Obi Wan allowed the thinnest of smiles as he answered Vader's unspoken question, "Something far worse happened to you."
Before he could react, the scene changed again. This time he found himself standing in the council chambers of the Jedi Temple. Around him laid the bodies of men and women. Each face Vader instantly recognized as someone he had killed. Among the faces were the well-known such as Count Dooku and Nute Gunray. Captain Antilles was sprawled against the back wall with Admiral Ratus thrown against the opposite wall. Mixed with the well-known were the nameless that Vader had killed. Though their names had been lost to history, Vader recognized each one in vivid detail. Coruscant… Vrogas Vas… Scarif… Hoth… Vader remembered the location and manner of death for each person. Their expressions of pain and horror were etched in the stone of his memory.
"This is what separates us," Vader muttered, "I remember the bodies that built our throne."
Blood painted the walls and windows, while the revered chairs of the council were overturned and scattered across the room. However, instead of Obi Wan next to him, it was his wife, Padme. Compared to Obi Wan, her eyes were blessedly normal. The sorrow and pain on her face was a sight Vader had long since grown use to in his visions.
"Did you ever believe your own lies?" the Padme asked in a depressed voice.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she waited for his response.
"I did," Vader answered matter-of-factly, "I was also a fool."
Padme's sadness was replaced by a knowing smile and the scene changed. Vader found himself on Mustafar. The intense heat washed over him. Ash fell like rain, and Darth Vader felt a chill run up his spine. He noted with some measure of worry, that there were no apparitions.
"You should not be here," boomed a deep, gravelly voice.
Vader resisted the urge to turn around. The disembodied voice seemed to come from every direction at once, making the source impossible to identify.
"So, it would appear," he answered with authority.
"Men like you burn in the fire of their destruction," the voice continued, "Yet you have not."
"The power of the darkside-"
"Matters little!" the voice roared, "I have watched through time and rock and stone. Arrogance is the root of your survival… the belief that you can reverse sins of the past with sins of the present."
"I care little of redemption," Vader snapped back.
"And lo the child continues to believe the lies he forges," the voice retorted, "What is revenge but redemption for one's pride?"
Vader didn't respond as the darkness pressed into him. Within his suit, the Sith continued to be uneasy. Another chill ran up his spine as something reached out in the force. Acting quickly, Darth Vader slammed up his mental shields and backed away from the river of lava. He knew exactly where he was and wasn't about to let history repeat itself. He turned in a slow, steady circle. This vision had long since quit being his to control, and Vader was looking for the being who had hijacked it.
"Who are you?" Vader demanded as he activated his lightsaber.
"I? I am a monument to all of your sins," the voice purred.
Without another word, Darth Vader's vision went black. His eyes snapped open, and nearly slammed shut against blinding light of the pressure chamber. His breaths came rapid and fast as his body demanded oxygen. In his ears Vader could hear the pounding of his own heart, and the distant tapping of his trembling hand.
Using techniques born from years of experience, Vader slowly brought his body under control and tried to make sense of his vision. In his vision, he saw his old enemy and master, Kenobi; his deceased wife, Padme; and where he fell on Mustafar but with a presence that gave even him, a Dark Lord of the Sith, the chills. He had begun with the intent of meditation. Yet meditation was far from what had happened. Vader had reached out in the force and something ancient and twisted had reached back. While he wasn't sure who or what the entity was, he did know one thing. The voice in question was much older and much more dangerous than the Sith. It was not the force alone or book knowledge that told him this. It was a feeling deep down in his broken and scarred bones.
"Perhaps…" Vader began before trailing off.
The idea was an unlikely answer at best and wrong at worst. Troubled, but wishing to not dwell on the experience, Vader went through the process of exiting the chamber. Once free, he produced a special comm link from his belt and keyed up the proper frequency code. A couple seconds later, he was rewarded with the face of his most reliable bounty hunter.
"Lord Vader," the bounty hunter began with a touch of annoyance.
Vader dismissed it as one of Boba Fett's common tones. As a rule, the man hated to be interrupted while on a job.
"The timeline has accelerated. Have you found the doctor?" Vader asked.
"Yes. Unfortunately, those two demon droids of hers seem to be especially problematic. I've been trying to quietly separate her from them," Boba Fett answered matter-of-factly.
Vader noted the aggravation rolling off the man in waves. This bounty was clearly causing him problems.
"You will be awarded an extra fifteen thousand if you get her to the drop point in the next forty-eight standard hours," Vader declared.
"Twenty and I'll have her there tonight," Fett offered, "Consider it a onetime hazard fee."
"Tonight, for seventeen and you keep your long-term contract," Vader countered sharply.
The bounty hunter grunted in annoyance as he considered the option.
In the end he gave a nod and answered, "Done. I expect my payment at time of delivery."
Vader didn't answer as he clicked off the comm link. He didn't like paying more than he felt the bounty was worth. However, advantages were hard to come by in this game. Being cheap wouldn't make things any easier.
(Home One: Somewhere in Hyperspace)
Leia listened as the blue hologram of a man spoke.
"As of two weeks ago, Death Squadron was declared missing in action. This includes Darth Vader, Admiral Piett, and the super star destroyer Executor, along with at least 7 Imperial Star Destroyers. Rest assured, we are searching for them with all available resources…" the man began.
Leia listened to the holo-transmission with increasing worry. Either something had just gone horribly wrong or they had just gotten extremely lucky. The intercepted transmission she had been sent did little to help determine what was actually going on.
Leia thought to herself, how is Vader missing when he almost destroyed our fleet only days ago?
After racking her brain for a few minutes for possible answers, Leia sighed in frustration. None of her ideas being remotely in the realm of possibility for the Empire's infamous enforcer and his fleet due to their loyalty to the Empire.
"Unless…" she trailed off as she produced her comm link.
"Yes?" answered a voice that Leia recognized, Mon Mothma. "Mothma here,"
"I just listened to a recording passed on from one of our agents. Something major has happened," Leia quickly explained.
"What is it?" the former Senator asked.
"Vader's gone off the map, Mon. He may have gone rogue in his search to find us," Leia answered.
"What makes you say that?" Mothma pressed.
"He and his fleet are missing, and the Imperial fleet has no idea where he went," she argued before requesting, "Would you please come to the meeting room. Something's definitely changing."
"I'm on my way," Mon Mothma agreed.
(ISD Executor: 15 hours later)
Admiral Piett watched impatiently as the woman messed with the control panel. She would watch the screen, punch in a line of code, then watch the screen again in a process that had drug on for over an hour and a half and was promising to continue indefinitely.
"Well, Aphra, can you do it or not?" he demanded.
The woman snickered.
"Of course. Given enough time and the proper persuasion, anything is possible," she answered as she examined the screen, "However, this is going to take time."
"How much time?" Admiral Piett quizzed.
"More than I have," Aphra answered as she pushed her chair back from the workstation.
"That's not how this works," Piett answered as he unsnapped the strap on his holster.
The doctor stood and glared at him with crossed arms.
"Look, you and your boss should have thought about that before destroying both of my droids and kidnapping me," she snapped.
Admiral Piett shook head.
"Stick around and we might be able to arrange a mutually beneficial deal. However, you have to give us proof that you can do the job," the Admiral calmly argued.
"Please, I've proven myself to your boss more times than I care to count. So, either show me the cash or the door," she retorted.
As they spoke, the two were so caught up in what they were doing, that neither one noticed Vader enter the bridge.
"The door is an airlock, which you will not live long enough to see, and the first half of your payment is in your quarters. You can have it at the end of the day," Vader cut in, bringing their attention to him.
Aphra spun around and quickly protested, "Quarters I haven't seen yet."
"For a reason," Vader shot back as he pointed at her with an accusatory finger, "You will not double cross me as you did before. There will be no droids to save you this time."
Doctor Aphra fell silent for a moment as she considered her options. On one hand, she was glad to be free of her two droids, as they had developed their own twisted version of sentience. However, working for Vader again was far from appealing. Unfortunately, at this point, it looked like aiding him was her only option.
"Alright, fine. I'll get them online for you, but it will take time," she conceded.
Vader nodded and turned to the Admiral.
"If this happens again, I will find someone else," he declared.
"Yes sir."
The unspoken threat was not at all lost on the Admiral. He had long since accepted that he would have to work with unsavory characters from time to time. However, anytime that he had the authority to bring one such individual to heal was a welcome change. That was one thing Admiral Piett respected about Darth Vader. Any criminal alliance was born of absolute necessity and generally ended with the individual's death or imprisonment.
(UNSC Staging Area: One week later)
Admiral Hood stood on the bridge of the UNSC Infinity and listened to the hushed chatter of the crew. The room, while chaotic, had a soothing effect on the aging admiral. Ten years ago, he would have never expected this ship to make it off the docks, let alone be alive to see it. Of course, nothing had gone to plan in those days.
"And to think two men changed the universe forever," Admiral Hood muttered as he stared out at the stars.
"Two men and a mental A.I.," answered the woman next to him.
Admiral Hood looked over at the ONI officer as though he might argue the point. He paused for a second and thought better of it. Cortana was a hero in her own right, but she had definitely gone "mental" as the agent had put it. Instead, he gave a half-hearted shrug and turned back to the viewport.
"You don't agree with the assessment?" the agent pursued.
"Agent Dare, I worked with Cortana enough to know your statement is an oversimplification," Admiral Hood answered back.
A silence fell over the two as Agent Dare decided against forcing the issue. Next to her, Admiral Hood mentally called up the woman's file. She was a very talented ONI officer that was a part of Section 0 before transferring over to Section 3 on recommendation of Admiral Osman. Of course, the story was more complicated than that, but, then again, what wasn't more complicated these days. Physically, Agent Veronica Dare was on the small side of ordinary. She stood around five-seven with blond hair that, if ever let down, wouldn't go very far past her shoulders. However, looks were deceptive. She was one of the best and most experienced ONI had post war. Between Jericho, Reach, and New Mombasa, she had long since earned her stripes.
"Admiral, the Path of Redemption just arrived," announced Captain Lasky.
"What's the class?" Admiral Hood quizzed.
"CCS-class Battlecruiser. It's the first of five expected today," the Captain answered.
Admiral Hood opened his mouth to answer. However, it was the voice of a Commander that was heard.
"Admiral! There's multiple unknown contacts arriving in system," the man called.
"Show me," the Admiral ordered as he made his way to the holotable.
At the table, Roland—the Infinity's A.I.—picked up where the Commander had left off.
"Twelve ships inbound… From what I can tell, none are bigger than a cruiser, except one that is bigger than an Epoch-class heavy carrier. However, I won't know more until they break out," Roland explained, "but that's not what caught my attention. What caught my attention is the fact that they're in realspace."
"What do you mean?" Agent Dare pressed.
"They're going well over the speed of light, but we are tracking them through real space. From what I can calculate, they should have to correct their course in system," Roland answered, "Right… about… now!"
"Admiral, the ships have stopped just this side of the moon," a crewman announced.
Taking his cue, Roland pulled up the fleet's exact location on the board. They were just close enough to see, but not in great detail.
"Roland, can we see what exactly we're up against?" Captain Lasky quizzed.
"On the board. With your permission, I'll redirect a squadron for a flyby," Roland answered before launching into an explanation of the ships, "Tonnage puts the lead ship in the heavy carrier category." -Roland highlighted each type of ship in turn- "The ones directly behind and flanking are frigates, while the intermixed ones are the size of medium transports."
"Do a flyby, but I want all weapons locked and put away. I'll finish a fight, but I damn well won't start one," Admiral Hood ordered before turning to Agent Dare and Captain Lasky, "Sound general quarters and bring us up to combat alert alpha. I want everything armed but safeties on." Lasky nodded and got to work, leaving Dare to her orders, "Contact the Arbiter and ask him to do the same, and contact HIGHCOM to inform them of the situation. We're initiating First Contact Protocol."
"Yes Admiral," Agent Dare and Roland acknowledged in unison.
First Contact Protocol was a very specific set of orders that had been formulated and put together prior to the Human-Covenant War. However, it had seen some updates since the end of that conflict. Keeping in accordance with it, every ship in the fleet came to combat alert alpha; meaning shields were raised to full strength, MAC guns spun up, missiles were primed, and the fighters were fueled and fully loaded for combat. Marines, ODSTs, and Spartans all prepared for boarding action, and the ship's sensors stretched out to encompass the entirety of surrounding space. All that was left was for the Admiral to attempt contact with the other ships. The UNSC fleet didn't wish for a fight, but they had a very big stick waiting if the other side didn't feel the same.
Across the aisle, the Arbiter's fleet fell into a similar stance. Shields came up and plasma cannons warmed. Missiles found their targets of choice, and scanners reached out to determine what they were facing. Infantry and vehicles were prepared for combat, while the ships fell into a stance that was suitable for fighting. It was only one Sangheili, on the bridge of the Shadow of Intent, that kept them from springing into combat.
This was no small task, even for Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and his decades of experience leading his brothers into battle.
"Warm the plasma turrets and load the torpedoes into their tubes. Tell the fleet to tighten formation," the Arbiter ordered.
"Tubes four, five, and six have a solution on the lead ship. Shall we open fire?" asked an officer that was either simply nervous or ready for a bloodbath.
The Arbiter didn't know which was true, nor did he care at that moment.
"No," the Arbiter quickly barked, "We are not Brutes. We will not engage them unless fired upon."
"By your word Arbiter." the Shipmaster of the ship said loudly.
His words prompted the rest of the bridge crew to nod their heads in agreement.
∫∆πµπ∆∫
"By the Force, those ships are massive," muttered one of the bridge officers.
Admiral Akbar found himself unable to respond as he stared at the ships in question. He could easily tell that the fleet in front of them was made of two distinct factions. Concentrated on the left were several dozen angular ships of varying size. Each one had a dark grey hull that seemed to fade into the space behind. In the middle of the formation was a much larger ship that seemed to dwarf her escorts. While not as big as the Executor, it was definitely big enough to demand respect and awe. They all had a strange symbol that looked like a planet under a bird that had its wings extended fully with large bold characters that read UNSC in a bold, white text beside other words in the strange language. Some examples were, "UNSC THERMOPYLAE"; "UNSC COLUMBIA"; and the text on the biggest ship read, "UNSC INFINITY".
To the right was a group of even larger purple ships, though all but one couldn't compare with the massive angular ship with the strange name of 'INFINITY' in the other group of ships. Unlike the ones on the left, these were much more sleek and organic. Some were similar in appearance to the Mon Calamari cruisers and frigates that the Rebels had in their fleet, but others were totally alien in design.
"Admiral, several smaller ships are approaching on an intercept course," another officer urgently reported.
Admiral Akbar quickly examined his command screen and ordered, "Launch Rogue Squadron to meet them. Tell them to not fire unless fired upon first."
"Yes sir," the man answered crisply.
Satisfied that the man would carry out his orders, the Admiral turned to the rest of the officers, "Open a channel and begin contact protocol. We need to know who we are sharing space with, and if we are trespassing."
For the next couple minutes silence hung over the bridge as the pack of X-Wings flew out to greet their foreign counterparts. The only sounds heard were the beeps and whirs of the various monitors punctuated by short, clipped reports about the location of the small ships.
Meanwhile, in the cramped cockpit of his X-Wing, Luke Skywalker strained his eyes to see what both R2-D2 and his scanners were telling him existed. Somewhere in front of his squadron was a pack of smaller craft and they were closing fast. He glanced down at his instruments and made the proper adjustments to his course.
Anticipation churned his gut, while his mind advised caution. From this far out, the opposing fleet was only a few specks silhouetted against the brown and green backdrop of a planet. It really did not look all too impressive. However, Admiral Akbar had made sure that the entirety of Rogue Squadron knew better.
"This is Rogue Leader to command: Were you able to establish contact?" Luke asked while examining the translation of R2-D2's whistles and beeps.
"Negative. They appear to be trying to talk to us. However, our ship-to-ship communication systems are considerably different," Akbar answered with clear annoyance and a touch of unease.
Luke nodded and acted on his droid's observation.
"Rogue Squadron, break on my mark and let them pass through. We'll drop in behind them," Luke ordered.
"Commander, that's gonna give them a clear shot at the fleet," warned one of the pilots.
Luke didn't respond as he watched R2 rapidly tick down the distance between the two squadrons.
"Break! Break!" Luke called out.
Discipline overwrote any objections and the X-Wings shot off in every direction. Luke took a downward path with Biggs in tow, while the others either went up, left, or right. He risked a glance up just in time to watch seven dark grey craft streak through the space they had just been occupying.
"Keep your s-foils locked in cruise mode and circle around. We'll fall in behind," Luke ordered as he pulled his control yoke back and left, "Green and Blue squadrons will provide immediate cover for the fleet."
The foreign ships loosened their formation but did little else as Rogue Squadron fell in behind them. The ships were about the size of the Alliance's X-Wings, with four thrusters, and two wings in the rear that appeared to be for atmospheric flight.
Luke's focus was broken by a new voice on the command channel.
"Commander, we have a new problem. An Imperial probe was just detected entering the system," Leia cut in over the command channel.
"Where?" Luke demanded as he examined his various screens and heads up display.
"I'm transmitting the coordinates now. It came out much closer to the other fleet. I don't want to display aggression but that probe has to go, now," Admiral Akbar explained.
There was no missing the emphasis on the word "now" as the Admiral spoke. Luke's mind kicked into overdrive as the Admiral's coordinates came in. That probe was very close to the other fleet. One wrong move and any shot at a peaceful first contact went out the window.
"Biggs, you have command of the squadron. I'm gonna go deal with that probe," he ordered as he broke off from the group, "Don't fire unless you absolutely have to."
Biggs's response went unanswered as Luke dumped every ounce of power he had into the engines. Every second that the probe was operational added to the chance of an Imperial fleet showing up.
(UNSC Infinity: Sixty seconds ago)
"Negative sir. They're maintaining formation and distance. Those ships seem content to just watch us," the pilot reported.
Admiral Hood processed the answer to his earlier question and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What the hell are they doing?" Hood muttered to himself, before ordering the pilot, "Watch your six. If things go sideways, stick to minimal engagement and return to the Infinity."
"Yes sir," the pilot answered crisply before closing the channel.
"Roland, where are you on reaching them?" Agent Dare quizzed.
"I've almost got- You bastards!" Roland yelled.
"Admiral, an unknown object just entered the system in sector four. It's up on the board," Captain Lasky announced.
"And that fleet just scrambled their transmissions. Ship-to-ship comms just went dead as well," Roland added bitterly.
"Sir, Echo 1 just reported in. One fighter broke for the pack and is moving toward the fleet," announced a crewman.
"Something lit a fire under his ass. It's speed just doubled," Agent Dare observed as she watched the holotable display.
"It's on an intercept course to the unknown object." Roland reported.
There was a tense silence as Admiral Hood considered his options. From what they could tell, the ship wasn't in a position to fight. However, it was closing with the fleet at quite the impressive speed. If they were going to intercept it, he would have to act very soon.
"Sir, I'd recommend observation instead of engagement," Agent Dare offered, "Every second that fighter goes unchecked is a second that Roland can gather information on it. Should things come to blows, that information could be quite useful."
Admiral Hood nodded and turned to Captain Lasky, "Observe the ship from a distance, but be ready to engage."
"Yes sir."
"Roland, how long until it's at the object?" Agent Dare quizzed.
"Thirty seconds," Roland answered matter-of-factly before adding, "Power spike in the wings… They just changed configuration and got a huge rush of energy."
"Weapons?" the Admiral quizzed.
"More than likely."
Captain Lasky stopped mid stride at the confirmation.
"Captain, your orders still stand," Admiral Hood announced.
The Captain nodded and went back to what he was doing. Back at the holotable, it was clear that the ship was holding course and his intent appeared equally clear.
Admiral Hood turned to Roland and ordered, "Tell me about the object."
"It's small, maybe a quarter of the size of a broadsword. No weapons are obvious. However, it is taking in and transmitting signals. The transmissions are heavily coded, and all directed away from us," Roland explained before calling out, "Weapons fired!"
"Admiral, the object's been destroyed. The ship is swinging back around, and it's headed back towards its own fleet," Captain Lasky reported.
"Hold your fire. It clearly wasn't shooting at us," Admiral Hood ordered before turning to Roland and barking, "Get me on with that fleet. I want the channel open, now. Also, quietly get a line to the Arbiter open—observation only. He'll want to be involved."
What showed up on the holoscreen would change everything for the UNSC and Swords of Sanghellios.
(ISD Executor: Four hours later)
Vader looked at the images with curiosity and worry. The probe had not been able to send back much before being destroyed. However, it did manage to retrieve some interesting images. From what he could see, the Alliance fleet was there and doing about as well as expected.
What he didn't expect was another fleet, many times larger than both his and the Rebel fleet combined. All he could see were outlines but knew that a couple of the ships were just shorter than the Executor. They were obviously flagships. Even a child could see that, but were they the same species or two different races? Even more importantly, would they be a threat to his plans or could they become allies?
These questions and more were racing through his head as he thought of a plan to deal with this unexpected turn of events. Being vastly outnumbered, he needed a way to bolster his fleet. Sadly, the only way at he could would be to seize a nearly abandoned dockyard or shipyard that the Emperor sent old inferior ships like the Venator-class and Victory-class Star Destroyers. At the very least, he would need the ships and time to refit them for automated use. Time… slaving those ships to his fleet would definitely take time.
He moved silently to a Holonet terminal and activated it. There he made a list of remote dockyards and minor shipyards. After two hours of reading, one stood out to him. The Yaga Minor shipyards in the Yaga system. It was near the Unknown Regions, deep in the Outer Rim. The yard was an active military installation, but small enough to be viable with the right resources. As he reviewed the information in front of him, Darth Vader scowled from behind his helmet. It soon became clear that he did not currently have the time or "right resources" to take and hold the shipyard. Attacking that place on his own would be a bad move, but it might be his only choice in his limited time frame. Unless…
Vader spun around and marched toward Admiral Piett.
"Set a course for the probes last known location," he commanded. "And send a shuttle to scout the Yaga Minor system immediately. The shuttle needs to be undetected by the sensors at the shipyards but take note of all the current defenses and ships in the system, not including cargo ships or freighters. Focus on the storage rings."
Admiral Piett flushed the worry from his face before acknowledging the order. Vader, now satisfied that his plans were back on track, walked back to the front of the bridge and awaited the jump to lightspeed.
