October 16th, 3235, 1520 hours
Planet Coruscant
Senate Building landing pad
Small forces of Marines were selected to exit the ship. The Captain and his squad were chosen along with a few members of the 196th Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST)s. Unlike Captain Kanow of the last ship he was on, the Marines did not get along well with these Helljumpers. Captain Vennettilli and the Helljumper commander, Captain Tyrell Banks nodded heads, only Chris couldn't see Banks' face because of the mirrored helmet.
Captain Perry strode out of the ship, hands behind his back. He blinked his eyes in the Coruscanti high noon. The Marines saluted as their commanding officer passed by. At the end of the walkway stood a single human with flowing white hair. This must be the one in charge, Perry pondered in his head. He approached the man and he said in an even voice: "Your Excellency?" the Supreme Chancellor smiled. "Admiral Karath has briefed me on your problem. I find it a little interesting that you are not from this galaxy or even this universe." "Yes, we've had a little bit of a rough day." The Supreme Chancellor smiled. " Perhaps we can discuss this in my office?" Perry nodded. "Yeah, I need to sit down."
The two men walked through the bowels of the Senate building. Perry was in shock with all the other alien races walking beside him. The Chancellor noted this uneasiness within the Navy Captain. "I can see you are uncomfortable with all the non-human races here." Perry nodded. "Well, yeah. You see where we come from; we've only discovered a few alien species. Here, I can see hundreds without turning my head!" The Chancellor laughed for a second, and then coughed heartily. "I apologize, I am an old man. Well, Captain. I can see that our culture will take some getting use to. Here's my office."
The Chancellor went to his office door. Two guards with rifles stood at attention with rifles. They stood even straighter when the Supreme Chancellor walked past as if his wake make them icy solid. "I thought you used lasers. Why do your guards use projectile weaponry?" The Chancellor didn't even look back. "Ceremonial purposed Captain. They are loaded and can do as much damage as a blaster can. Impossible to deflect too. Here we are."
The room was quite spacious. At the far end, there was a single desk with a curving window. Cityscape covered the entire sky and flying cars and ships cut through the sky. "Sit, Captain." Perry obliged and took off his hat. He rubbed his black hair smooth. "Admiral Karath tells me that you are trapped here. Is that correct?" Alan responded with a level voice. "Yes sir. We don't know how to get back. The only possibility seems to be this jewel that was said to exist twenty thousand years ago."
The Supreme Chancellor watched Captain Perry with serious eyes. "I see." He said simply. A device beeped on his desk. He checked the address. "Perhaps we can get to the bottom of this now." He tapped the pad and Admiral Saul Karath rose from the desk. "Sir, all my ships are in position. We are ready to jump to Vanquo at your…Oh," The hologram said turning to see Perry. "Am I interrupting something, Chancellor?" The Chancellor waved his hand in a way Perry interpreted as 'of course not!' "No, Admiral. In fact, can you join us for a quick moment?"
The hologram argued with someone they couldn't see. "No, Onasi! I'll only be a minute!" He then turned to the Chancellor. "What can I do, sir?" "We need to discuss this man's issue. I presume you mentioned the ancient Sith Blood Emerald?" Karath's hologram shrugged. "Yes, but it's only a myth!" At this the Chancellor cut across, "It's no myth! It does exist!" He selected a holobook from his personal bookcase recessed into the wall. An unmarked tome was picked out. The Supreme Chancellor punched in a few buttons and a blue representation of the Blood Emerald appeared.
"Ah, here we are. 'The Ancient Sith Blood Emerald was an ancient jewel thought to possess power far into the reaches of the Force. Before the Great Hyperspace war, a small group of exiled Sith used this jewel discovered on their home-world of Korriban to travel through space at incredible speed. The hypothesis is that the Emerald was considered more powerful than the hyperdrives introduced by the Ancients 20,000 years ago. There have been many assurances that other jewels such as the Blood Emerald has existed throughout the Galaxy, but only ten have proved to be as powerful as he original. Sadly, all the Emerald locations have been lost to time.'"
Perry rubbed his temple. Even Karath was still. "I see that you may need to do some searching for this Emerald." The Chancellor caught Perry's uneasy glace. "Something wrong, my friend?" "It's just; we were supposed to be on R&R. We have just recently defeated an enemy and my men need some rest." The Chancellor sat back in his seat. I can give you some support, but not a whole lot. We are also in a war and we need every ship, man and weapon we can get our hands on. Rest assured though Captain, you will get your support when you need it."
Perry nodded. "Thank you Chancellor." He stood up to leave. Karath's hologram said, "Sir, not that I don't like listening to fairy tales such as this but I have a fleet to move." The Chancellor nodded. "Understood, Admiral. You have permission to move the fleet out. Good luck." Karath's hologram smugly crossed its arms. "I won't need it."
There was a cool breeze outside. It was enough though to make the Marines shiver though. It could have also been the unfamiliar setting. The Marines had orders to stay in their places but curiosity killed the cat. Even the squad leaders couldn't help but look around. At the time, Captain Vennettilli was peering over the edge of the landing pad. He had taken an empty shell casing from his utility belt and dropped it off the edge. He followed its progress with his battle rifle's scope until it disappeared completely from sight. He whistled.
Ryan was busy inspecting a soldier's blaster technology. The young Republic Private had obligingly handed over the heavy blaster cannon to the UNSC Marine. Sally was conversing with a human senator who was very interested in what she had to say on positions of slavery. Two other members of Chris' squad Privates First Class Santorini and McGregor were taking pictures of the skyscrapers to show their loved ones. If they had a chance to get back to their loved ones.
A hooded figure was standing behind a pillar. He stared intently at the young fox. He had sensed that something arrived on this planet and he had the strongest sense of it. He knew what it was. It was the Force. The hooded figure walked into the sunlight with his eyes locked on the young anthro. He casually strode past Republic soldiers and UNSC Marines. He accidently brushed too close to Captain Banks of the ODSTs.
Tyrell's anger was immediate. "Hey, what the fuck, man?" He pushed the figure. The man stumbled but regained his footing. "You listening to me, bitch?" he said. The hooded man clenched his jaw and waved his hand in front of the man. "There's no need to get angry. It was an accident." The ODST shook his head. "Yeah…whatever you say. It was an accident." His Lieutenant shook Banks' arm. "You OK, man?" He asked.
He was close now. Many around him had the call of the Force. All life did, but he could sense there was something in this boy. "Excuse me." He said curtly and politely.
Tails wheeled around. "Yes?" He said at once. The man lowered his hood. A man with short blond hair and stunning blue eyes looked at him. "My name is Kavar. I am a Jedi Master. What is your name?" "M…My name is Petty Officer Miles Prower." Tails said a little nervously. "You seem a little young to be in the military don't you think?" "I'm a science officer." He said evenly. "I see." Kavar said. "Is this your ship?" He said interestedly at the Phoenix which blocked out some of the sun. "I've never seen its type before." "Well, we're not from around here. We're fro-" "Tails! What's going on?" a voice said. Both of them looked to see Captain Vennettilli walking towards them with his battle rifle raised. "Who are you, pal?" He said pointing the gun towards the man. He lowered it slightly when he saw the man's lightsaber hilts.
The man, Kavar smiled slightly. He knew that look: The look when one discovers that he was a jedi. "This does not concern you, sir. This is between me and your friend."
Just then, Kavar had a vision. It was unclear and incoherent but he could make out a few crucial bits: He saw this young anthro, Tails there battling a masked figure, the other human firing his rifle, and several of his companions.
"Are you alright, sir?" Chris asked politely. "Yes, I'm quite fine. Thank you for asking. Excuse me young man, I need to go. Expect to see me again soon. We need to talk about…what I see in you." Kavar turned on his heel and walked into the senate building. "What the hell was that all about?" Chris asked. Tails shook his head. "I don't know, but I get a feeling he's gonna be following us.
Speaking of following, there was an uninvited guest clinging onto the bottom of the Phoenix. Inside a charred, ruined hulk that blended in with the rest of the Titanium-A, sat the evil genius Dr. Ivo Robotnik. After the Fourth Battle of Earth where the UNSC defeated the Terran forces, Egmman had tried to escape the Sol system using one of the four Sol Emeralds he had captured. He was nearly within range to jump when a lone UNSC Frigate, the Defiance opened fire on him. The first thing that got hit on Robotnik's cruiser was his engine drive corridor. After that, he was drifting and the frigate had one easy target.
A few MAC blasts later, Robotnik's cruiser was out of commission. The blasted hulk pin wheeled in space riddled with holes belching coolant and molten metal. The evil doctor had one last trick up his sleeve. The bridge separated from the rest of the ship and he clamped onto the UNSC Phoenix just before she jumped. He was foolish however to hold the Sol Emerald when the ship jumped. He was the cause of the universal transition.
Now trapped in an alternate universe, Robotnik had plans. He had of course sliced into the Republic data logs, butchered Bianca's translation software for his own use, and read up all he needed to know. Satisfied, he could go and talk to these Mandalorians. Maybe he could work out a "business agreement".
The hatch of the severed bridge cycled open and the hatch dropped. Since the bridge was upside down, Eggman tumbled to the ground. His robots however had robotic feet so they simply walked down. He rubbed his bald head thinking about the bump he'd have. He squelched this thought when he saw several UNSC Marines standing close to his position. Fortunately they had not heard him and he decided to get away and find refuge. Maybe he could blend in. the humans around here wore wacky styles so he could integrate easily. Maybe he could pose his robots as the ones several people had walking around. Even a few of them had weapons!
"This may be our lucky day, gentlemen." He said to his robots. "No more jail cells for me!" He was about to take a step when he heard the rack of a pistol slide. He swept around to the source of the noise. Standing before him was a bat. She was very beautiful and wore a black bodysuit with a titanium breastplate shaped like a heart. In her hands however, she carried a 10mm matte black pistol with a heart shaped iron-sight. He laughed at his opponent. "Why hello, Rouge! I didn't know you were on board this ship!" He gestured to the Phoenix which stood above him.
"I'm not exactly on the list, am I doctor?" She sighted the pistol. He could make out the symbol on her holster: It was the symbol of an Eagle perched over a single eye. "ONI? Really Rouge, I had no idea that you were the humans' lapdog now, working for a section of the military that technically doesn't exist? Being a spook?"
Rouge didn't lower the gun. "I made that choice, doc. Now you're gonna tell your tin cans to lower their weapons or I'll plug them first, then you." Eggman had no choice, or so it seemed to Rouge. "You've got me. Lower your weapons." He ordered the robots. The two automatons stared at each other for a second communicating, and then threw their guns on the floor. "Put your hands on your head!" Rouge commanded. He did as he was told. She walked up to him and extracted a pair of handcuffs. "On Authority of the Office of Naval Intelligence Section Zero, you are hereby under arrest, Doctor Eggman." Robotnik suddenly broke out into a smile. Now!
A wide-bore weapon emerged from the doctor's coat sleeve. Rouge barely had time to register it. It was a laser! Eggman fired the gun once. Time slowed down for the ONI operative. Light erupted from the barrel of the weapon and a wide swipe of energy crossed the threshold. Rouge was immediately struck by the energy. Her outer titanium plate was boiled away and her clothing was singed off. Her skin burned in the erratic matter. Eggman smiled. The gun didn't have enough energy to kill the bat, but it had more than enough to leave her out of the fight. He glanced at her quivering form, her skin blistered all the way around her abdomen. Clear burn fluid already was surfacing around those areas. She had enough strength though to raise her pistol and squeeze off two shots within the doctor's direction.
The pistol's muzzle flare was bright pink. The bullets caught the guard just three inches on his right. The faceplate dented on the first round and the second punctured the armor. Black oil and fluid erupted from the robot's face as it crumpled on the ground. Eggman's smile of delight vanished when he saw the approaching Marines.
Chris had heard the energy blast first. He and twenty other Marines turned to see what was going on. He saw Rouge the Bat fall to the ground, her skin smoking from the energy impact. Then he saw Doctor Eggamn triumphantly holding his weapon. The doctor saw the Captain and turned to start running. "MAN DOWN!" Chris shouted. "MAN DOWN! SOMEONE GRAB A CRASH KIT! I NEED A FUCKING MEDIC HERE!" Despite his previous hate of Rouge, he felt the need to help her. He slid on the ground beside her and desperately placed his hand on her neck. No pulse. Damn. Her heart must have overloaded.
A Marine with the Medical Rod of Asclepius (Snake and Wings) on his shoulder had a defibrillator in hand. The man rubbed them both together charging static electricity. "Clear!" he yelled. Chris slid an inch back. The medic placed one shock pad over Rouge's right breast and the other under the left. Her bare chest jostled slightly as her muscles contracted. The doctor placed a stethoscope over her chest. "Heart's restarted, but it's beating dangerously high. Better get her on the ship." Two more medics lifted her form and walked up the access ramp.
The other Marines crossed Chris and ran to confront Eggman. They were rewarded by a few laser blasts. The bridge had released itself from the Phoenix's hull and operated as a single ship. Eggman turned the bridge around and nailed whatever he could get. Splash damage from a laser lifted a few men into the air, their skin burning from the heat of the energy discharge. The Republic soldiers opened fire with their blasters. Coherent energy streaked towards the doctor's ship but they dissipated in the shields. The UNSC's small arms fire didn't do much damage either.
Captain Perry ran out of the Senate building as fast as his legs could carry him "EVERYONE, INTO THE SHIP NOW!" He barked. The Marines responded and turned tail. A few carried wounded and dying. Perhaps they could be saved.
Doctor Eggman was like a kid at Christmas. He was mowing the UNSC Marines down like crazy. A few laser blasts here, a few there, he set a few men on fire and cackled madly. Suddenly he saw a man in a flight uniform emerge from the building. This was probably Captain Perry, the man in charge of the ship. As soon as the Marines disappeared into the safety of the Phoenix, Doctor Robotnik realized he was outgunned to hell.
He ordered his helmsmen- which were robots- to turn the ship around and rocket them out of system. The engines of the frigate started up and the 50mm MLA Autocannons turned to track them. Accelerating through the atmosphere, Robotnik dumped almost all the power he had into the shielding. Cannons fired and picked away at the energy shielding. Eventually, the ship made it to orbit and jumped to hyperspace.
"We lost him!" Lieutenant Briggs said. Perry slammed his fist into the side of the command chair. "DAMN!" he yelled. They were drifting in space, just passing an orbital mirror which supplied Coruscant with sunlight. "Try to contact the Republic and get every ship they own looking for this guy!" Perry commanded Lieutenant Callows. "Yes sir!" he shouted and begun typing in commands.
Perry stood up and walked out the door. There was somebody on board he needed to have a little chat with.