Chapter 08.

GRS Casta.

Aubrie through herself down on her bunk and closed her eyes to try and get a few moments of sleep, before something ells of importance called her away.

Ever since they had left Cloud City, Aubrie and her crew had been desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the Covenant. She had thought that Hutt space would be safe, however though the Hutt's were a neutral party. The Covenant still sent ships into Hutt territory to hunt down human ships. The Hutt's didn't like it. It was bad for business after all, but they didn't want to piss off the Covenant so they did nothing.

Aubrie now found herself in command of a small ragtag fleet. It was primarily made up of human refuge ships, but there were a few Republic vessels that like her ship were trapped behind the Covenant's lines. Still they had nothing that could really challenge any Covenant vessel above a corvette. Altogether they could take on a frigate or a destroyer and maybe if they were lucky a light cruiser, but that was just one ship. The Covenant never went anywhere without at least two ships.

Aubrie got up and looked over a holo of the local star cluster and then expanded it. Time was running out. The fleet couldn't afford to lose any more ships and if they fought the Covenant again they would lose a lot of ships. Aubrie needed to find a way round the Covenant lines back to Republic space, but that would mean looking for a new hyperspace rout. Aubrie examined the map; she zoomed in to where her fleet was. She sighed, the stars in this area were very dense, and that would make trying to find a new rout very dangerous.

GRS Casta three Days Later.

"Mam we have a ship on long-range sensors it's leaving orbit of the second planet and has plotted an intercept course with the fleet."

"Can you identify it?" Aubrie asked with concern. Could the Covenant already be her she wondered.

"Not at this range, it will be a minute before we can get a positive ID." The clone informed her. the seconds ticked by, Aubrie didn't realis she had been holding her breath till the sensors officer called again.

"Mam we have a positive ID, it's the Texas Ranger."

"Thank the Force it's not Covenant, but what is the Texas doing out here?" Aubrie exclaimed with relief.

"Well you will probably get the chance to ask them, they are hailing us." The comms officer informed her.

"Commander Wyn I am surprised to see you out here, though the reason is easily guessed."

"Captain Foster it's good to see you again. And I am as surprised to see you out here as you are to see us. I am just glad you are not Covenant."

"As I am that you are not." Captain Foster replied with a smile. "However your presence here presents us with a problem."

"How's that Captain?"

"This location is top secret and cannot be allowed to be discovered by the Covenant. I am afraid I am going to have to insist that your fleet remains here until further notes"

"Captain Foster I don't understand. What are you doing here?"

"Commander, why don't you have your fleet move into orbit of the third planet. Then come to the Texas, there is much we need to discus."

UNSC Texas Ranger Conference Room.

"Captain Foster, can you please explain to me why my fleet can't leave?" Aubrie asks as she takes a seat.

"It's a simple problem of security Commander. We must insure this location stays classified and that our presence in this part of the galaxy is kept from the Covenant." Foster explained. "I am sorry but I can't risk that there might be a spy on one of your ships. "

"That's ridicules Captain! Everyone in my fleet has been running for their lives."

"Commander if everyone in your fleet was human I might believe that, but that's not the case is it!" Foster points out.

"Fine!" Aubrie huffed. "Then I must ask by what authority, do you presume to keep my fleet here."

"By the authority given to me by the UEG and UNSC, of which this is now sovereign territory."

Aubrie's moth dropped open for a moment. "You can't be serious!" She exclaims.

"I am very serious Commander. We clamed this system for the UEG yesterday, and I must inform you that any ships trying to leave this system without my permission, will be stopped by any means necessary."

"Captain Foster, why are you doing this?"

Foster takes a long breath before assuring. "Miss Wyn we are not from this part of the galaxy, and my people have been fighting the Covenant far longer than you have."

"How long?" Aubrie interrupts Foster.

"Nearly three decades." Foster replies solemnly. Aubrie couldn't hide the look of shock on her face.

"They attacked one of our outlying colony's claiming our destruction was the will of their gods. Since then we have lost hundreds of colonies and billons of lives to the Covenant." Foster paused for a moment to let what he had just said sink in.

"So you have no idea why humans are an affront to the Covenants gods?"

"No."

"Can you help us with this war?"

"Have you not heard what I just told you?" Foster exclaimed. "We have been fighting the Covenant for nearly thirty years. Our fleet is a mere shadow of what it once was and we only have our core worlds left. To top it off you are more technologically advanced than we are. We have only just begun equipping ships with shields, and energy weapons are still down the road."

"But surly it is in your best interests to help us?" Aubrie askes.

"Miss Wyn it is in our best interests not to draw attention to ourselves. If the Covenant were to resume their campaign against us, it is estimated they would effectively neutralized us within six months and maybe another year before they completely eradicated us."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"We are keeping an eye on the Covenants activities. We may not be able to do anything about them now, but it would be foolish to not keep ourselves informed about what they are doing." Foster explains.

Aubrie looks at the floor. "If you won't let my fleet leave than what are we supposed to do?"

"There are two inhabitable worlds in this system. We have set up an outpost on the one we are currently orbiting. You could have your fleet set up a refugee cam on the second planet." Foster suggests.

March 15th 2553 08:00 Hours Alpha Rendezvous Sight.

I stared at my Longsword's sensors. I had been sitting in this asteroid belt for the past six hours. After much persuasion by Commander Wyn, Captain Foster had finely agreed to allow refugees into what we were now calling The New Hope system. However Foster was not just giving the nave data to people.

Instead Commander Wyn would find a group of refugees and then give them a time and place to meet someone from Ranger. That someone turned out to be, nine times out of ten Six or myself.

I leaned back and relaxed. When we had first establish the bass at New Hope and Commander Wyn had set up her refugee camp, things had been rather tight supply wise, but then the Westward Bound arrived a month and half later. A refit Phoenix class colony ship she could carry huge amounts of supply's and personnel, and thus our supply problems were solved, at least for the time being.

"Rachel wasn't that transport supposed to be here two hours ago"

"Two hours, five minutes, twenty-seven seconds to be exact."

"I wish Commander Wyn would stress to these people that the need to be on time." I growled irritably.

"Noble 5 I am picking up a ship coming out of hyperspace."

"Good they are finely here." Just then a very large ship came out a hyperspace nearly on top of us.

"What the hell!" I exclaimed as I took the controls of the Longsword.

"Lieutenant, that's a Recusant-class light destroyer. We need to get out of here NOW!"

"I can see that Rachel, prepping hyperdrive." I said as my hands flew over the controls.

"They have locked on to us with a tractor beam." Rachel informed me.

"Damn they must have known we would be here."

CIS Death Wing.

"What do you think we will find on board?" A B1 battle droid asked another B1 marching next to him as they took up position behind the craft that had just been brought on board.

"I don't know, but I hope it's not a Jedi."

"Jedi, who said anything about a Jedi?" another B1 asked.

"Shut up, there are no Jedi on the ship." A B1 with the yellow markings of a Commander ordered.

Once all the droids were in place they stood and waited weapons pointed at the ships exit ramp. A minute later the ramp slowly opened.

"Come out with your hand up." The Commander ordered.

"Ya or we will blast you." An enthusiastic B1 added. About thirty seconds went by and then three green spheres came hurling out of the fighter. One of them landed by a B1's feet it looked at the ground

"Uh Oh!" It said before the frags detonated and decimated the formation.

"That's a lot of scrap metal." Rachel remarked upon seeing my handy work as I exited the Longsword.

"And there is going to be a lot more before this day is over." I replied.

Twenty Minutes Later.

The Blast doors slowly opened, their controls having been overridden by a powerful AI. Security droids stand weapons ready waiting for a target to appear. The doors open, a blur of green dashes through, the droids open fire, red blaster bolts fill the air, the crack of am M6G is herd over the wine of the blasters, and the blue flashes of an energy sword cut down anything in its path. A moment later the hallway is clear of droids and all that remains is a green armored solder.

"He is still coming." Captain Durgas exclaimed. "How is that possible? There were two droidekas with those security droids, not even a Jedi can stand against droidekas."

Major Nihai 'Taham stood with his arms crossed watching the video feed from the security monitors. "He is a Demon, they call themselves Spartans. They are the most skilled warriors my people have ever faced. Your Jedi are skilled combatants, but they are not dedicated warriors willing to do anything to defeat their enemy."

"You sound like you admire them." Durgas replies.

"Any honorable warrior should give respect to those who deserve it, whether they are friend or foe. Though these Demons are our enemy they have earned our respect."

"Well the only thing standing between this Demon and us is your solders. I hope they fair better than my droids."

Nihai simply grunted in response. How could this pathetic creature compare his team to droids?

Last Blast Door Before Ships Bridge.

"There you go just one more to go after this." Rachel said as she unlocked the door.

"Good this is getting ridicules." I remarked irritably.

"I thought you would be happy spending your day destroying things."

"Oh I am quite happy to destroy things. I am just getting tired of all these stupid droids. It gets old after a while."

"Well this will cheer you up I just used the security cams to take a peek at what is on the other side of this door. Looks like you have some old friends guarding the bridge."

"Who many?"

"Two Elite minors with sporting Grunts and Jackals." She replied calmly.

"Is that all? I'm insulted."

"Now don't go getting too cocky." Rachel scolded.

"Yes mother!" I teased. There wasn't any more time for fooling around though the doors opened and the fighting commenced.

The Elites immediately opened fire, the grunts lobed plasma grenades, and one jackal managed to get a shot off before I had made it through the door and had taken cover. However I didn't stay in cover very long. Rolling out of my previous position I through a frag at the enemy formation and took cover again as a hail of plasma scorched the deck where I had just been. I quickly capitalized on the distraction my grenade had caused. I drew my M6 and nailed three Grunts before they could take cover, and was gratified to see I had gotten two Grunts and a Jackal with my grenade before I ducked back in to cover. I than took my shotgun and charged the nearest Elite, I waited till I was close enough for max effectiveness and then let him have it in the face. I spun around his falling corps and blasted the second Jackal, and another Grunt. The second Elite came at me with his sword; I blocked it with my shotgun. Throwing away the now useless weapon I drew one of my energy swords and slammed it into his gut and then activated it, running the bastard through. Throwing the Elites now limp body away I drew my pistol and shot the remaining Grunts trying to run away.

CIS Death Wing Bridge.

"I dead for sure this time." Captain Durgas whimpered. "If you save me I will reword you handsomely."

"I have had enough of you!" Nihai snapped angrily drawing his plasma pistol. "You don't deserve the honor of dying at the hands of the Demon. Besides I have been waiting for the moment that I could pursuantly dispose of your worthless ass." Nihai then shoots the stunned Captain in the chest with a charged blast.

Nihai 'Taham then turned to face the bride entrance as the blast doors began to open; he raised his sword and got into a combat stance and waited for the Demon to come.

The doors opened and revealed his opponent, a Demon clad in green armor with a blue stripe running down the middle of its helmet, and a blue right shoulder guard. He charges the Demon, the Demon fires an assault rifle at him, but he sidesteps. He swings at the Demon's head, but the Demon ducks and steps to the side dropping the gun and drawing a sword of his own in one hand and a pistol in the other.

Nihai charges again, this time his strike is blocked by the Demon using his sword. The Demon hits Nihai across the face with his pistol before they break away. Nihai is temporally stunned and feels three projectiles slam into his shield. Nihai takes another sword from his belt. He usually didn't fight with two swords, but this Demon was a special case.

Nihai charged, he swung with his right, and then jabbed with his left, but the Demon parried each strike. Nihai launched a more complex strike at the Demon, but still the Demon blocked him. Howling the fight went on Nihai didn't know, however he did know it ended quickly. Nihai must have slowed down for a moment because he suddenly found himself flying across the room with a dent in the shape of the Demons boot imbedded in his chest plate. He hit the bridge viewport with a thud and Nihai thought he heard it crack. A split second after that he heard the crack of a human sidearm. The viewport shattered and Nihai was sucked out into the cold of space before the emergency shutters could slam shut.

"Well done Demon. It seems the stories were true. My you die with honor." Nihai 'Taham said before he died.

"Well that was a good fight." I said as I let Rachel access the ships primary AI core so that she could wrestle control from the ship's AI pilot. A moment later she appears on the bridges holo projector.

"Well I am glad that you at least found a good challenge today. Because tacking out that pathetic excuse for an AI was no challenge at all."

"Well don't be too upset we just acquired a new ship."

"Do you want me to set course for New Hope?" Rachel asked.

"Do it." I said as I sat in the command chair.

"Course set in Lieutenant."

"Engage!" I commanded Rachel.

"Really!" Rachel said as she turned to look at me.

"What? That show is a classic."