AN: Here it is! Sorry for the long wait, by the way. That's the guaranteed time for now.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Halo or Star Wars. Those right belong to Bungie (343 Industries) and LucasArts. Any character(s) or object(s) not included in each company's respective saga is mine. All the rest are theirs.

1200 hours, May 30, 2576 (Military Calendar) \ Core Worlds, Coruscant System, Coruscant, UNSC Hot Gates

"All in all, we're supposed to pilot a group of Cutlass-class interceptors through a smorgasbord of enemy fighters into the hangar of a hostile flagship captained by one of the most notorious leaders of the CIS and rescue the Supreme Chancellor from the clutches of said leader and Count Dooku himself?" Master Chief Petty Officer Paul-089 managed to say in one breath.

Captain Donald Hughes, an elderly man in a gray captain's uniform, scratched the full beard on his chin and nodded.

"Pretty much," Hughes replied, gritty voice issuing from his throat like sandpaper. "You missed the part about trying to kill Grevious and Dooku, though."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Although Paul's face was hidden from view behind his golden faceplate, one could tell he was excited from the urgency in his voice. "Aren't you excited, Vince?"

His fellow Spartan stood by the brass railing along the bridge, staring off into space. He didn't say a word or give any sign of notice to his friend. Paul felt a surge of pity for his friend and long-time brother-in-arms. Ever since the Station 13 incident, the lieutenant couldn't get over the fact that he "failed" the mission. Paul looked over to his other partner, Xavier. The short, green-armored SPARTAN-IV made a cutting motion with his hand.

Let him be. Paul gave an almost imperceptible nod and stepped back from the stoic Vince.

Hughes detached himself from the company of the Spartans and approached one of his seated officers.

"How're we running, Desmond?"

"Smoothly, sir. We've rebuffed numerous hostiles from within the firing zone. Our fighters halted two boarding attempts. I'd say we're good to go, skipper."

"Casualties?" the captain asked, eyes boring into the control screen.

"Minimal on our side, sir. We lost three destroyers and one Supercarrier. Four of our frigates are disabled and drifting."

"The Republic our doing well, I presume?"

"I wouldn't say that, exactly. There's some very heated conflict going on in the middle. Our ships are too big to really do anything but float awkwardly and cause friendly fire."

"Hmm," Hughes grunted, stroking his beard. "Everything seems fine. Has Rawlins given the okay, yet?"

"Not yet, sir. I don't think he's acquired the Asset yet-Oh, wait." A green icon flashed on the screen. "We're a go, captain."

"Excellent. Spartans, gear up and go to the hangar for additional briefing. I'll be there shortly." Hughes saluted and turned back to the sitting Desmond.

Vince pulled away from the railing and strode out of the bridge politely, although not saying a word to his two partners. Paul and Xavier followed.

There was an awkward silence between the three as they walked down the corridor, dodging streams of naval personnel. Silences usually were never so foreign in a SPARTAN unit, but the group had been so accustomed to Vince giving words of encouragement or information.

When Harold and Courtney get back, they'll be in for a surprise, Xavier thought dryly.

They reached the armory, where hundreds of advanced weapons were stacked neatly on hanging racks. The Hot Gates was a ship loaded with SPARTAN-IV gear, since it had been designed uniquely for ferrying the elite soldiers across the stars. Engineers were collaborating on making a whole ship class for the Spartans, but times were a bit too busy to put it to action.

Paul carefully removed a M50 Close-Assault Carbine from a rack, admiring its polished sheen. They had been produced late in the Recuperation Era, when most of the vital colonies had been terraformed. Much more advanced than their earlier cousin, the MA5K Carbine, the rifle had a more devastating hydrostatic shock, or stopping power, on a target. The weapons development team at ONI had implanted several miniature detonators into the bullets themselves, so when the projectile buried itself in the target the bullet promptly exploded after two seconds. The M50 first saw use against CIS forces in the Felucia campaign where the guns proved devastating against the droids, tearing them apart from the inside and sending them into disarray.

The gun was shaped more or less like its past counterpart, but with a longer barrel and electronic targeting reticule. Paul took a Magnum from another rack and inserted eight grenades, four of each kind. Xavier bent low and opened a drawer, taking a Sniper Rifle System 99D-S2 Anti-Matériel from the compartment. The long-range weapon hadn't changed mostly in the past decades, mainly because of its effectiveness in capable hands. In a Spartans hands, it was much deadlier. He aimed down the gun, twisting the dial to adjust the scope. Satisfied, he slung the weapon over his shoulder and took a quick glance at Vince.

The silent Spartan was walking along the racks, taking grenades as he went. After sticking a medpack into his bag, he stopped at the far end of the room. Vince took the long metal cylinder from the panel. He ignited the lightsaber, emitting a deadly shaft of blue energy from the top. Swinging it appreciatively, he deactivated it and stuck it into a holster. Turning, he extracted a Kirkovsky-Model MA5D Assault Rifle from another shelf. Like its predecessors, the MA5D was an air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine fed weapon that would serve the UNSC faithfully. It looked much like the MA5C, but stockier and with an infrared targeting reticule that could electronically match on the HUD. The guns were outfitted with .50 armor-piercing rounds, rounds strong enough to pierce droid skin.

Vince added a fresh cartridge into the rifle, resisting an urge to sigh. Sensing a tingle at the back of his neck, he turned to see Xavier and Paul looking at him.

"What?" he asked, voice low.

"It's not your fault, Vince," Paul began.

Vince shook his head and walked past them, brushing against their shoulders.

"We've got a job to do." he responded, cutting him off. Seeing that it was hopeless, the other two followed.

Making their way through the twisting corridors, they made it to the hangar, where three distinct Cutlass-interceptors were docked in front of them. Klaxons were blaring, and dozens of personnel were rushing about. Captain Hughes nodded as they entered the hectic hangar. The three SPARTAN-IVs walked up to the skipper and saluted. Hughes saluted and turned to a tactical screen to his right. The schematics of the Invisible Hand were on the screen.

"Good. You're here. Now, the objective is the Invisible Hand, General Grevious' personal flagship. As far as we know, the Chancellor is being held at the upper observation deck," he pointed to a conning tower jutting from the rear of the Providence-class cruiser/destroyer. "To megalomaniacs like Grevious and Dooku, a lofty place like that would be a great room to house one of this galaxy's most important men. Highly vulnerable to destruction, but dramatic."

"So we kill the Count and Grevious and rescue the Chancellor." Vince remarked matter-of-factly.

"It's not as simple as it sounds. First, you'll have to get to the damned ship in the first place. There are thousands of fighters protecting the flagship. It won't be a fly in clear skies, if you ask me. Then, you'll have to enter the hangar and navigate your way through hundreds of corridors to find the tower. Plus, there's bound to be tens of thousands of droids in the ship."

"It's not like we haven't done this before, captain." Paul pointed out.

"Correct. However, Grevious and Dooku will be under the same roof this time. The general was good enough to stand-off against the Arbiter himself, and from what I've heard, Dooku could easily kick two Spartan's asses."

Vince stiffened, and his blood levels rose and registered on his team's HUDs. Xavier dipped a finger almost imperceptibly, but enough to catch Vince's eye.

Cool it.

Vince took a breath and calmed down, ignoring the reference. Hughes saw this and flushed slightly.

"My apologies, Spartan. I got a little carried away there."

"Forgiven, sir. Although it's not my place to say so."

"Don't be ridiculous, son." Hughes huffed. "Anyways, all this sounds like shitload of trouble if you ask me. Luckily, you won't be going without any help."

Hughes withdrew a data chip from his breast pocket. Vince recognized it; it was just like the one on the Conquistador, when Ayala gave him Manuel. He handed it to Vince.

"His name is Durandal. He is High Priority Asset 2, the object that so many men gave their lives for groundside. A few minutes ago, Rawlins risked a ship-to-ship data transfer to give Durandal to me. He is highly valuable to us, and we sincerely hope that you do not mess up."

"Durandal, sir," Vince began. "He's an AI, isn't he?"

"The best there is. He is the first of the fourth-generation AIs, the new breed of artificial intelligences ONI is cooking up. The scientists had taken DNA samples of the greatest minds in the UNSC and merged them to create a virtual AI super genius. Technically, the spooks said that Durandal should be able to complete this mission on his own, but since this is his first operation, we decided to put him with you guys."

Hughes sighed in finality, clapping his rough hands together.

"Are you ready?" he inquired, eyes questioning.

"We were ready a long time ago, sir." Xavier answered.

"Good. Now get going, you've got a Supreme Chancellor to save."

They saluted and jogged briskly towards the three waiting Cutlasses. Vince jumped onto the ramp and slammed his fist onto the close button. Steam poured from the fuel pipes as the incline rapidly shut. Vince fingered the chip, thinking the decision over. Finally, he jammed it behind his helmet.

There was a flash of light, and the world spun as vertigo overcame his senses. He gave a brief pause, but then recovered.

"Greetings, I am DRN 0000-1. You may call me Durandal."

Surprised at such formal introduction, Vince took a second before responding.

"Hello, Durandal. I am-"

"Second Lieutenant Vincent-123, born August 14, 2553 in Las Vegas Ultra, Nevada. Recipient of the Purple Heart, Medal of Honor, and the Colonial Cross. You were selected to be part of Valor Team on December 2, 2570."

Vince sat shocked for a moment, but eventually regained his composure.

"Figures. Fourth-generation AI and all that." he snorted.

"It was quite elementary, really. All I did was access the files regarding your, I must say, zealouslyguarded history and upload them into my neural memory logs. The security software didn't know a thing."

"Great, that's great," Vince said, strapping into the seat. "If you haven't noticed we got a job to do right now, so if you'll pay attention and try to save my ass a few times, I'd appreciate that."

"Why in the world would I want to save your ass? I don't want to lay my hands on such a dirty thing. Who knows where it's been?" the AI answered in a tone uncharacteristic with newborn intelligences.

"Sarcastic little twit," the Spartan muttered as he flipped the top switches and got ready for takeoff.

"Blue 2 is a go for launch." Xavier's voice crackled into the COM.

"Blue 3 is a go. Awaiting Blue 1." Paul stated from his Cutlass.

"Blue 1 is go for launch." Vince said, ejecting Durandal from the back of his helmet and into the data log on the control panel of the Cutlass.

"Clear hangar bay area, I repeat, clear hangar bay area." The speakers blared, sending waves of men and women out of the flight zone.

"Clear."

"Exit burn in three…two…one. Burn!" Vince yelled.

The Cutlasses engine roared to fiery life, and the hull groaned as stress gripped the ship. Vince leaned back at the initial acceleration, but straightened as they cleared the hangar and entered the black vastness of space.

1210 hours, May 30, 2576 (Military Calendar) \ Core Worlds, Coruscant System, Coruscant, Sewer Levels

"I hate sewers," Renfield moaned, his lips stretched in a pout as he sloshed through the damp pipeline.

After the Pelican from the Summer's Day picked up the Asset, they were ordered by Rawlins to go and assist the defenses at the Senate Building. Seeing that the streets were clogged by enemy forces, the only clear way was through the underground sewers.

"Suck it up, Marine. Quit pouting and be a man." grunted Lewinsky. The corporal was at the head of the group, while Jackson and his SEALs brought up the rear. In the middle of the thirty-odd group was the wounded Ling on a stretcher. Occasional groans issued from the SEAL's throat as they traversed the tunnels.

"How far until we reach the building, major?" Lewinsky asked, eyes peering through the dark before them.

"We've still got a mile to go. Until then, keep your men in line, corporal." Jackson said, giving a sidelong glance at the miserable Renfield.

"Geez, major," Hayes complained. "Give this greenhorn to the droids, for God's sake."

"No one is giving the droids anything but a ton of lead, boy. Now get moving." Jackson growled.

As they marched on, Renfield perked up, sniffing the air like a bloodhound.

"I smell something," he said, voice frightened.

"Oh really, private?" Lewinsky replied, nearly chuckling. "You're smelling something in a sewer? Who would have known?"

The men laughed, giving Renfield condescending looks and grinning like fools. Renfield ignored the jibe, backing up down the tunnel. He pointed a shaking finger at the stygian darkness up ahead.

"I can h-hear them too," he whispered. He turned and sprinted back. "RUN!"

They all watched the private flee, stunned. Jackson recovered, slapping one of the men upside the head. "Get him before he hurts himself."

The private chased after Renfield, calling his name in an attempt to make him return. He disappeared around the corner. Hayes started laughing, clutching his belly in glee.

"What's gotten into Renfield, corporal?" he wheezed between laughs. "Think he got the old post-battle jitters?"

Lewinsky was silent, however, as he stared up ahead. Slowly, he began to back up.

"Lock and load, boys! We're in for trouble!" he yelled, flipping the safety off his battle rifle.

The sound of fluttering wings and excited chirps echoed throughout the tunnel. The Marines began backing up, nervously preparing their weapons.

Then a swarm of armed Yan'me and Geonosians burst from the blackness.

/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\

"Be advised, Blue 1, you've got two vulture droids on your six and approaching fast." Xavier warned.

Vince switched to the aft cameras and spied a duo of the infamous CIS fighters among the mayhem of turbolasers and dogfights. He pulled ahead, seeming to fly straight towards the floating hull of a destroyed CIS frigate. The vulture droids closed in, firing their weapons at the fighter. The Cutlass' shields absorbed most of the lasers, and Vince went onwards.

"You'd think they wouldn't fall for the oldest trick in the book," Durandal commented.

Vince pulled back the throttle at the last second, rising up. The two droids crashed into the hull at full speed, exploding in a ball of fire that quickly extinguished.

"Bravo Zulu," Paul remarked.

"They're droids," Vince said to the AI. "They're not exactly top-notch pilots."

"Of course. One would assume that much. They're maneuvering standard only allows them to focus on one object at a time. At such high velocity, they weren't able to register that you were leading them to a trap."

"Oh, really?" Vince said dryly as he maneuvered around a Republic Venator.

Outside the window was a myriad of bright colors and shapes, something that Vince found quite distracting. Turbolasers flashed here and there, and only Vince's augmented reaction time enabled him to avoid them. He touched his COM as he spotted the burn blue-indigo hull of the Invisible Hand.

"Objective in sight. Form up, Dagger Position."

The two Cutlasses positioned themselves to the right and left flank of Vince. They zoomed forward towards the ship's port. Immediately, a cluster of vulture droids detached from the main hull and rushed to the approaching UNSC fighters.

"Fire targeting missiles," Vince stated, pressing the weapons control buttons. "Missiles away."

Four missiles disengaged from the Cutlass and streamed to the enemy fighters, leaving a trail of smoke exhaust. Three connected, eliminating the droids. One missed and hit the Invisible Hand instead, making its deflector shields flicker a bit.

The vulture droids continued on, firing away. Suddenly, a mass of blue turbolasers flew in from the right, smashing against the vulture droids. A yellow-black Jedi starfighter cruised in, finishing the droids off. A familiar voice spoke into the COM.

"Looked like you guys needed a hand," Anakin Skywalker teased.

"Much appreciated, general," Vince replied.

"Although not entirely necessary." Durandal put in.

The SPARTAN-IV ignored him and fired his bullets at the hangar shield generators, joined by his team, Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"My apologies, Spartans," Kenobi breathed. "Anakin is quite impulsive at times."

"Looks like you need to keep the boy on a leash." Durandal advised, pushing into the group COM.

"Excuse me, who is that?" Kenobi said, trying not to sputter.

"I'll tell you when we clear the hangar." Vince answered and cut the connection. He brought a fist down onto the panel.

"You can't hurt me you know." Durandal said.

"I'll rip out the controls." he responded, speeding up.

"I've already connected to every naval database in the area. Besides, I can process and react to information millions of times faster than you."

"Durandal…" Vince sighed, eyes locked onto the approaching hangar entrance.

"Collision imminent. Brace yourself."

Vince swung back as the Cutlass slammed into the hangar floor, sending a shower of sparks in its wake. As it slowed, he ejected Durandal from the control dock and got out of the seat. Dropping the ramp, he leaped out and lifted his MA5D.

A mass of B1 battle droids were walking towards them, mechanical voices droning commands. He aimed and fired four quick bursts, ripping holes into each target. They fired back, and Vince sidestepped to find cover. A harsh snap sounded in the air, and three droids fell, a hole pounded in each one's head.

"Keep it up, Xavier" Vince encouraged through a private link.

Paul appeared from between two docked CIS transports. He went up close to a droid and fired. The battle droid flew back as the modified bullets connected, and then promptly exploded mid-air. Two others were engulfed in the flames.

The two Jedi jumped from out of nowhere, landing in the middle of the droids. They spun and weaved, displaying deadly acrobatic moves that not even a Spartan could do easily. Soon, the enemy was finished. Paul kicked the remains of one of them.

"I'm surprised you didn't finish this war sooner," he remarked. "These droids are as dumb as shit."

"With an aim to match," Xavier added, appearing from on top of one of the side ledges.

Kenobi chuckled, deactivating his lightsaber and brushing some soot off his tunic.

"Trust me," he said. "There was much more to it than that."

"Come on, R2." Anakin said, leading a blue astromech droid to a door. Vince came up beside him and R2D2, holding up his data chip. "Locate the Chancellor."

Vince imported the chip in, and blue light filtered through the mechanical port as Durandal situated himself.

"Not what I expected," he mused. "A bit different from the UNSC and CAS database, but its nothing I can't handle."

R2D2 whirred and bounced on his two sliders, still connected to the wall.

"What?" Durandal asked, presumably to the droid. "There's no need to be so rude. You can't help it that I'm one hundred and fifty times faster than you."

R2 beeped again.

"Alright, that was uncalled for you little-"

"STOP!" Vince yelled, his nerves beginning to get the better of him. "Just quit it. Find the Chancellor, please."

"Fine…But he has to stop calling me names."

"He's quite immature for a fourth-generation AI," Paul said in a private link to Vince and Xavier.

"I can hear you, you know. I've linked up to all COMs within the radius of four thousand miles."

"Durandal…" Vince hissed.

"Alright, I've got it. Actually, I locked onto his signature the moment I attached to the Invisible Hand's battle net-"

"For Christ's sake-" Xavier complained.

"He's in the upper observatory deck."

"Okay, we know that. How is he?" Vince asked, resisting the urge to pull out his pistol and shoot the panel.

"Looks good to me. Here, I'll feed the security camera video to you HUDs."

A gray video popped up in front of Vince. The Chancellor was shackled to a metal chair, almost like a throne. The paned window was directly in front of him, and the scene of battle raged in space. There seemed to be no enemies in the room.

"Okay, everyone through the door." Kenobi ordered.

"R2, stay here." Anakin said, pointing to the floor in emphasis. The astromech whirred in an almost sad tone and stayed.

Dutifully, they all piled into the small elevator. It was a funny sight: Three Spartans and two dwarfed Jedi standing in a cramped elevator compartment. Anakin clasped his hands behind him and inched away from the Vince's gigantic bulk. The Spartan looked down at the Jedi, who was already a foot shorter than him. Anakin looked away, eyes wide.

The door dinged and they exited the elevator with relief.

"Durandal, give me a quick and direct route to the conning tower."

A blue arrow icon flashed to the right: a side hall with more elevators.

/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\

After three elevator rides and a group of Super Battle Droids, Vince cautiously set foot into the upper observatory deck.

He was on a protrusion edged with steel railing and two flights of adjacent stairs. Below them, two cylindrical conduits stood on either side of lavender control table. Blue stripes surrounded the purple-colored desk. The chair that imprisoned Palpatine turned automatically, revealing the black robed Chancellor himself. His pale visage seemed to be even more paler, and Vince saw a small smile tug at his thin lips when he saw the Spartan.

As the group gingerly approached the man, Vince could see him stiffen. Kenobi bowed to Palpatine.

"Chancellor," he greeted with respect.

"Are you all right?" Anakin asked, genuinely worried.

"Count Dooku," Palpatine warned, looking behind them.

Vince spun to see Dooku in his trademark red-black suit enter from the door they had just come through, flanked by two Super Battle Droids. Dooku flashed him a quick smile. Vince felt his blood boil, something unfamiliar to the battle-hardened warrior. Paul clenched his shoulder.

"Calm down," he coaxed through private COM. "We'll get our chance."

"This time, we will do it together." Kenobi whispered to Anakin, who's eyes were locked onto the Count.

"I was just about to say the same thing," his apprentice murmured back. He stood next to his master and faced Dooku.

The Count flipped from the ledge to the ground acrobatically, a feat no man his age should have been able to do without the Force.

"Get help," Chancellor said despairingly. "You're no match for him. He's a Sith Lord."

Paul glanced at Palpatine, his arm twitching.

"Chancellor Palpatine," Kenobi said, turning to the shackled man. "Sith Lords are our specialty."

The Jedi Master removed his cloak, followed by Skywalker. The Spartans flipped the safeties off their weapons.

"Your swords please," Dooku said, walking straight up to them. Vince noticed he was talking directly to the Jedi, ignoring the three supersoldiers. He knew there was some bad blood between the three, but it was strange. "We don't want to make a mess of things in front of the Chancellor."

"You won't get away this time, Dooku." Kenobi replied, almost spitting out the last word. He ignited his lightsaber, and Anakin followed suit. Dooku lifted his saber arm and ignited.

"Fire!" Vince roared, emptying his clip towards the Sith Lord.

Dooku moved back, melting the bullets at supersonic speed. Kenobi and Skywalker moved in, striking with their blades. The Count twirled and deflected each strike, looking like a competitive fencer.

Vince felt his shields flare, and he noticed the two Super Battle Droids firing at them. He looked at Paul and Xavier and motioned to the droids. They nodded and ran. Vince turned his attention back to the battle.

The three Force-users stopped, crouching low. Dooku smiled a maniacal grin.

"I've been looking forward to this." he said.

"My powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count." Anakin responded, eyes burning with hate.

"Good," Dooku said. "Twice the pride, double the fall."

Obi-Wan struck first, an overhead blow that Dooku easily deflected. Anakin lunged, and the dance resumed. Vince lifted his gun, struggling to find an opening. Whenever he fired, however, the Sith Lord always blocked each shot. Vince looked up to the ledge and saw his partners finishing the droids off.

"Seek an opening for the Count," he ordered.

They nodded and jumped off the railing.

1219 hours, May 30, 2576 (Military Calendar) \ Core Worlds, Coruscant System, Coruscant, Sewer Level

"Shoot the buggers down!" Lewinsky roared above the gunfire.

The horde of insectoids were swarming above the trapped UNSC ground force, firing their plasma pistols and sonic blasters.

"How the hell did Yan'me get here?" Tanner yelled, shooting down five of the winged menaces. "And with Geonosians for Pete's sake."

"Who knows?" Jackson said, wiping blood off his lip. "Just keep on firing."

Lewinsky watched as a Geonosian and a Drone lift a screaming Marine, Hanson, into the air and literally rip him apart. As the blood and bones rained to the murky water, the corporal felt vomit burn at his throat.

"We're getting killed, corporal!" Hayes cried, steam rising from a plasma wound on his leg. "There's too many!"

"Man up!" Lewinsky replied.

The surviving Marines, twenty-three in all, formed a loose circle in the center of the tunnel. As more and more alien bodies fell, however, more humans fell. Leone primed a plasma grenade and threw it. It stuck to a Geonosian who scrabbled to remove it.

The grenade detonated, eliminating three Yan'me in the process. The Marines renewed their efforts until all the enemies were gone. Lewinsky sighed and kneeled, ignoring the blood flowing around his legs. He looked up, sweat glistening his forehead.

"Head count, everyone!" he yelled. "Form up!"

As they gathered around him, he began to count. He cursed aloud, stamping his foot. They were down to eighteen soldiers. There were bound to be more Drones up ahead, and they still had half a mile to go. Not to mention defending the Senate Building.

"Let's move, everyone," Jackson ordered. "Collect dog tags on the way. No time to dawdle."

Lewinsky walked over to Hanson's remains and plucked the silver chain from what remained of his neck.

"Hey, where's Renfield and Wallowitz?" Hayes asked while McGrath, the team medic, attended to his leg.

Lewinsky felt fear clutch his heart and he turned to look behind them. Where the greenhorn had fled, chased by PFC Wallowitz.

"Williams, Gil, cover me! I'm going to find-"

He was interrupted with the telltale sounds of snarling and yowls: Brutes. Jackson cursed and pulled two Marines by the collar.

"Go, go, go!" he bellowed.

Lewinsky gave one last look behind him then turned to follow the others.

1220 hours, May 30, 2576 (Military Calendar) \ Core Worlds, Coruscant System, Coruscant, CIS Invisible Hand

Vince pumped his shotgun and fired his last shell, watching in disappointment as the Count deflected the bullets once more.

"Paul!" the lieutenant called, dropping his shotgun and reloading his sidearm. "Help General Kenobi!"

His teammate nodded and ran to relieve the unconscious Jedi Master of the slab of metal covering his lower body. Meanwhile, Xavier and Anakin were desperately trying to subdue Dooku, but the Sith Lord was proving to be a hard foe. It seemed his prowess tripled since the last time they met. Vince ground his teeth and rushed to help his two allies.

Dooku Force-Pushed Xavier back a few yards. The Spartan felt air escape his lungs as he hit the bulkhead. Locking blades with Skywalker, he smiled ferociously. Anakin's curly brown locks were matted with sweat, and his face was contorted in pain and fury.

"I sense great fear in you, Skywalker," he drawled, eyes predatory and dark. "You have hate. You have anger, but you don't use them."

"Hey, Count."

Dooku whirled, watching Vince lift his pistol and fire thrice. He turned to deflect the shots, but even as he incinerated the projectiles, he realized his mistake. Snarling, he attempted to slice at Anakin with his lightsaber.

He was too slow.

Anakin slashed his blue lightsaber in a vicious arc, cutting both of Dooku's wrinkled hands from his body. Dooku's imperious eyes widened in shock and anger as he witnessed the sight. He kneeled, and Anakin caught the Sith's lightsaber and crossed both weapons across his enemy's neck.

Vince paused in momentary astonishment. It was over. A light laugh echoed throughout the chamber, and Vince looked to see Palpatine smiling at Anakin.

"Good, Anakin, good," the Chancellor commended, leaning forward in his chair. "Kill him. Kill him now."

He said the last words with a look of disgust at Dooku. The defeated Count swiveled his head, staring at the man in disbelief.

"I shouldn't," Anakin muttered, caught in a moment of indecision.

Vince felt Paul and Xavier coming up beside him. Kenobi's labored breathing was the only sound in the room as he moved fitfully on Paul's shoulder.

"Do it." Palpatine commanded, face stretched tight with concentration. His voice turned guttural, and Vince felt an involuntary chill run down his back. Not unlike the time he had first met the Chancellor at the Senate Building.

"Hold on there, Skywalker," Vince began, lifting up an arm towards the stiff Jedi.

"REEESE!" Dooku howled desperately.

An orange flash burst into the room, knocking Anakin away from the wounded Sith. He hit the window hard, shaking its delicate surface. Vince froze, watching in horror as an all too familiar person helped the Count to his feet.

"Reese?" Xavier breathed.

Their former friend looked at them in silence, producing a T-21 light repeating blaster from a sling at his back. Paul stepped back.

"Reese, don't do it-" he warned.

The SPARTAN-IV fired. There was no time for dramatic reunions as the three Spartans avoided the other's plasma bolts. Reese moved towards the door, firing and dragging Dooku on the way. Vince fired five times at his old partner's legs. Shields coalesced around Reese, and the Spartan didn't seem to notice as he forced Vince back into cover.

"What happened to him?" Paul called from behind a conduit.

"I think he's brainwashed," Vince answered.

Reese reached the elevator door and punched in the controls. The door slid open, and he and the Count entered the compartment. Dooku curled a lip, staring with glee at Vince.

"See you soon, lieutenant," he said, blood running down a corner of his lip.

The door closed, and there was a whumff as the elevator zoomed downwards. Vince bit back a curse and hit the wall in frustration. The shock had frozen him. He didn't work as efficiently as he was trained to do. He shook his head. He wouldn't let this momentary failure hinder him from completing the mission. He turned to his team. Judging by their rigid attention, he concluded that they came to the same decision.

"Paul, Xavier," he ordered, pushing down his feelings. "Take care of the two generals and release the Chancellor."

The Spartans nodded and went to do their jobs, pushing away the thought of Reese and Dooku.

/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\

"Prepare for attack!" Grevious hacked, turning away from the scene of battle outside the bridge window.

"All batteries fire!" A Neimoidian tech officer ordered, leaning back as two droids exploded from enemy lasers. "FIRE!"

Belowdecks, droids operated the turbolaser batteries, firing the massive turrets across space and onto Republic Star Destroyers. Spots of explosions bloomed across the Venator's hull as they met their mark.

/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\

"Elevator's not working," Vince informed the dreary Chancellor, Anakin slung over his shoulder.

Palpatine grimaced, and Vince could sense the tension leaking off his team's bodies as the ship creaked once more.

"Durandal! Activate elevator 3224." Vince said into his COM.

"Done."

The elevator opened immediately, and the group crowded in just as the Venator fired a heavy blast straight into the Invisible Hand's decks. The ship lurched, and the Spartans found themselves gripping onto a handle as the cruiser tipped dangerously forward.

"Hang on!" Vince cried as the ship went into a completely vertical fall.

"Having fun, boys?" Durandal hummed lightly.

"SHUT UP!" Vince yelled, letting his nerves get the better of him.

Suddenly, the ship leveled out, pushing Vince and the others back to normal.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" Xavier asked Durandal.

"I didn't do anything. The bridge officers of this destroyer/cruiser did." he answered plainly.

"Then why didn't you do that in the first place!" Palpatine burst out, wiping his forehead with his coat sleeve.

"Why would I have done that? The looks on your faces were priceless."

Palpatine spat on the floor.

"Your government's AIs are quite troublesome, lieutenant." The Chancellor told Vince. "Your leaders should highly consider getting rid of them for good."

"Is it because too many of us have been snooping around your Senate Building?" Durandal said. "If that's the case, then you'll have nothing to worry about. Well, except for a few minor details like blackmail, political coup d'état, a secret night at a night-club-"

"Look, the elevator's stopping," Palpatine weakly pointed out.

The compartment slid to a halt, and the door opened. Palpatine hurried out of the elevator, almost tripping on the hem of his dress robe.

"Come, Spartans," he urged.

Vince walked out, followed by his two friends.

"What was that about?" Vince hissed into his COM, mostly for show. "You have no reason to say such things to the Chancellor."

He gave a sidelong glance at the man.

"Oh, I am sorry. I am such a bad AI." Vince could almost picture the intelligence rolling his eyes.

"Keep quiet until later," Vince ordered as he followed the Chancellor down the corridor. "I need to talk about that later."

He had an ugly feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he pushed it down.

Unexpectedly, a cylinder of rays erupted from the ceiling down around the group. At that time, both Jedi awoke and tried to extricate themselves from the Spartan's grips.

"Don't move," Vince said quietly, keeping a tight hold on the confused Anakin. "Ray shields."

A side door opened and R2 came sliding into the room, howling. The droid hit the adjacent wall somewhat comically, stumbling on his two sliders.

"Nice one," Durandal snorted.

R2 whistled a response.

"Okay, you got me. But just this once-"

Two Droidekas emerged from the door, rearranging and aiming their guns at the group. Dozens of Super Battle droids appeared from behind them and in front of them, all facing the group threateningly.

"This is why I should never let you people make the decisions." Kenobi grumbled.

Suddenly, the ray shields flickered off.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then Vince lunged but froze when the shields came back on again.

"I can keep this up all day long," Durandal said happily as the ray shields turned on and off repeatedly.

"Just shut it off!" Vince shouted, tired of the AIs antics with the frustrated bridge officers.

"Gotcha, Big Blue," Durandal answered, turning off the shields for good.

"Great," Anakin whispered. "We turn off the ray shields just to get incinerated by a hundred droids."

"Relax, Brownilocks," Durandal said as the droids grabbed the group and started to pull them away. "They're not going to kill you. Megalomaniacs like Grevious want to have the joy of relaying all his plans to you face-to-face. Try to be more like your master, Kenny, and chillax."

"Quit it. You're not funny." Vince growled. "What's with the names, anyway?"

"Oh, I just wanted to give a personal designation for each one of you. My favorite is Turncoat Tommy. Isn't that right, Tommy?"

Someone behind Vince went into a fit of coughing, but he couldn't turn his head to see.

Finally, they reached the bridge.

General Grevious was at the front of the green-lit room, surrounded by his tech officers working on the control panels. He turned to the approaching prisoners, flanked by two Magnaguards.

"Ah, yes. Two Jedi, three SPARTAN-IVs, and the Supreme Chancellor himself. This is quite a treat." the mechanical android rasped, yellow slit pupils staring at the group with delight. "We've been waiting for you."

The prisoners were filed in a row, each one facing Grevious.

"Your lightsabers will make a fine addition to my collection," he said, clutching the Jedi's hilts in one metal claw.

"Not this time, general," Kenobi said, smiling. "This time, you won't escape."

"R2!" called Anakin.

The astromech droid beeped and released his cutting tools, slicing the bonds that held Kenobi. He ignited his lightsaber and freed Anakin, who used the Force to retrieve his lightsaber from Grevious' cloak.

"Crush them. Make them suffer!" Grevious ordered, moving back as his Magnaguards approached the two Jedi.

Vince nodded, and the Spartans snapped their cuffs and blocked the Magnaguards. Paul dodged one of their swipes and gripped their staff handle. Twisting it free, he jammed it into the droid's body forcefully and tore off its head with a gloved hand. As it twitched, he ripped the electro-staff free and sliced the Magnaguard apart like butter.

Xavier and Vince tackled the remaining droid, denting its breastplate and forcing it to the ground. As it lay on the floor. They simultaneously stamped their right feet onto the Magnaguard's chest, tearing right through the armor. The guard shook spasmodically and then died, the light leaving its bulbous vision sensors.

Anakin and Obi-Wan dropped their lightsabers from their ready positions, staring unbelievingly at the Spartans.

The three SPARTAN-IVs circled the trapped Grevious like sharks, flexing their hands in preparation. Grevious looked at them and to his single electro-staff in his left hand.

"My apologies, but I really must leave. Dooku would be disappointed if I die." he coughed.

He gripped the electro-staff and struck the window.

Air immediately rushed through the giant hole in the window, pulling everyone but the Spartans towards it. The two Jedi held onto Palpatine and grabbed hold of the railing, floating horizontally as the vacuum tore up the bridge. The remaining officers were pulled into the void.

"Durandal!" Vince cried.

"Activating emergency measures and venting oxygen."

Black slabs slid to cover the open windows. Gravity turned back to normal, and the Jedi and Palpatine dropped to the floor.

"Interior atmosphere stabilizing. You're fine, now."

"Shut the door." he ordered.

The exit slammed shut.

"Does anyone know how to drive this thing?" Vince asked, moving to a nearby control panel.

"Why did you shut the door?" Palpatine interrupted nervously. "We could've escaped!"

"When Grevious escaped, he ejected all remaining pods including his. This is our only way out. You guys, at least."

"I can," Anakin spoke up, answering Vince's question. "Well, I can land what's rest of it."

"Why do you say that?" Kenobi replied.

"Well, under the circumstances the ability to pilot this thing is irrelevant. Strap yourselves in."

"Open all hatches, extend all flaps and drive fins." he ordered.

They could feel the ship rumble as Durandal adjusted the ship to follow Skywalker's commands. Something happened to cause the cruiser to give a massive lurch.

"We lost something." Durandal said guiltily. "I can fly this thing by myself, you know."

"Let the Jedi do his thing, Durandal." Paul advised.

"There's no need to worry. We're still flying half a ship." Kenobi pointed out positively.

"Oh yeah," Xavier grimaced. "No need at all."

Red-orange light shone from outside the windows as Coruscant's atmosphere burned against the falling ship. Palpatine gripped both seats, staring wide-eyed at the flames. The light didn't affect Vince's vision, so he could clearly see the fast approaching surface through the burn.

"Now we're really picking up speed," Anakin said, grinning dangerously.

"Eight plus sixty," Kenobi calculated. "We're in atmosphere."

"Grab that." Anakin pointed to a throttle beside Kenobi's command chair. "Keep us level."

Blue sky, cumulus clouds, and the city surface could be seen through the burning windows. As the ship tore through the clouds like bullet holes, the Spartans could feel the familiar lurch in their stomachs as the ship descended.

"Steady," Obi-Wan encouraged.

R2 began a cacophony of whistles and beeps, distracting the Jedi from the job.

"Easy, R2!" Anakin yelled, sweat pouring down his face and staining his tunic collar.

"Five thousand," Kenobi said of the elevation. "Five ships on the left and the right."

"We'll take you in," said a voice through the SHIPCOM. It was one of the Republic pilots.

"Starboard and port cameras," Vince told Durandal. Through the static, Vince could see the Republic fighters releasing gallons of water through their pipes, extinguishing the exterior flames.

"Landing strip straight ahead," Kenobi pointed to a straight metal landing zone.

"We're coming in too hot!" Anakin gritted through tightly clenched teeth.

The ship landed with a crash, sliding across the landing strip. The sole occupants of the Invisible Hand were pushed forward, struggling to hold onto something as the huge cruiser tore across the strip. They neared a lone air control tower, and Vince braced for the impact. The Hand bulldozed the tower, sending its top half to the ground.

As the ship started to slow, Vince's nerves began to subside. He breathed a sigh of relief as the Invisible Hand ended its journey through space and land.

Anakin inhaled and exhaled shakily, looking to his master. Kenobi leaned back and pushed back his sweaty brown hair.

"Another happy landing," he said with a grin.

/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\

Lewinsky opened the sewer hatch carefully, eyes peering over the grimy rim.

"Is it safe, corporal?" Hayes asked loudly.

"Shut it, Marine!" Jackson snarled, slamming his rifle butt on the private's shoulder.

Lewinsky surveyed the scene around him. Through his line of vision, steaming corpses of droids and tanks were lying on the street under the shadow of the domed Senate Building. He could see the rear of the invading droid army besieging the edifice. Up ahead, the familiar white of the GAR clones desperately tried to push back the invaders.

"Alright, its clear!"

The men slowly filed out of the tunnel, nursing their aching muscles. Jackson watched the spectacle with grim clarity.

"Here's what we're going to do-"

Out of nowhere, a colossal Slipspace portal materialized above the city, ringed with azure energy. A fleet of CAS ships appeared, numbering in what seemed to thousands. A big portion of the fleet detached from the main group and flew into orbit, firing their plasma missiles at nearby CIS cruisers. The Marines and SEALs watched as the tide of the battle changed as Phantoms bombed the droid army and dropped off troops.

Lewinsky and the other whooped in newfound joy. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to hug the person. He collided with a wall of armor and pure muscle. He grunted and looked up, puzzled.

"Happy, human?" The Arbiter asked, clucking his mandibles in amusement.

He was dressed in ceremonial armor and a lavish cape. Flanking him were a dozen Elite Royal Guards, clutching bright energy swords and daggers. Wraith tanks and Unggoy-ridden Ghosts approached the battle, firing their weapons.

"Well?" Thel asked the battle-weary UNSC soldier.

Lewinsky sighed and fainted.

Escape pod…

"You were late, fool." Dooku seethed, staring maliciously at the SPARTAN-IV as he attended to the Sith's injuries. Mainly his stubs that used to be hands. "If you hadn't come earlier Skywalker wouldn't have done this."

They were inside the escape pod. They had crash-landed in an alley-way on Coruscant, but everyone was too worried about the battle going on that no one noticed them land. Dooku spat on Reese's visor.

"You will learn next time," the Count said.

He hissed as Reese rubbed some medical cream over his horrible wounds. Reese was as silent and stoic as ever as he finished the treatment. Dooku rose unsteadily, once-immaculate form dirty and stained with dirt and soot. He walked out of the open pod, the tip of his arm instinctively touching the lightsaber at his hip.

"Come, Reese. Our transport shall arrive shortly-"

There was a whine of a plasma shot, and Dooku felt pain bloom on his back. He cursed and fell to the grounds, lying amongst the rubble and debris from a torn office building. Breathing hard, he turned on his back.

Reese slung his blaster rifle back onto his shoulder. He walked over to the fallen Sith calmly. Dooku felt a flutter of fear. He lifted is arms to electrify the traitor, but to no avail. His hands were gone. Staring hard at the approaching Spartan, he tried to Force-Push him.

Nothing.

He roared, ordering Reese to stand down and quit this madness.

Nothing.

Reese reached the desperate Sith Lord and crouched beside him. Count Dooku was frozen in fear, and he stared at the opaque faceplate that mirrored his own face. Reese grabbed Dooku's curved lightsaber and ignited it.

"No more," he whispered.

He ran the former Jedi Master through. Dooku cried in pain, darkness edging his vision like blotted ink. His memories flashed in his mind faster than light, and he remembered the day he renounced the Jedi Way and turned to the Sith.

"Why?" he croaked as death seeped into his soul.

"Because," Reese said, withdrawing the lightsaber from Dooku's limp body and inserting it into his own waist belt. He recalled the words that Dooku said whenever Reese had asked the same question during the grueling surgical procedures. "It's all part of the plan."

He walked away.

Dooku sighed once, feeling a moment of peaceful euphoria enter his body. Then he died.

Reese felt Dooku's life force leave the living world, and he touched his COM.

"Dooku is dead." he said. There was a pause as whoever answered back. "Yes, master. I will be there shortly. Our time is near."

He cut the connection.

Beneath his golden faceplate, the treasured image of the UNSC and beyond, he smiled.

AN: Suspenseful, isn't it? The whole Revenge of the Sith part should come to a close in the next few chapters. Also, if any of you noticed, I did change Durandal's name. Anyways, like always, please R&R! Thank you!