A/N: Just a bit of fair warning, this chapter is a bit of a diversion but it's events will have an effect on the rest of the story.
Also, a new class of warship appears as well. so i hope you guys like it.
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[ The Togruta Affair ]
Sitting within the confines for his quarters on board the UNSC Reach admiral Alexander Morrison was at his hard wood desk, as he went through the daily reports he received from the many officers he had under his command. Joining the UNSC Navy at the age of 21, the Sargasso native quickly rose through the ranks of the navy and by the time he was 36, he was in command of a frigate on patrol near the very edge of UNSC space.
Five years later in command of one of the new Jacob Keys-class destroyers, Morrison got his first taste of action when a Covenant loyalist fleet launched an attack on the colony of Harvest. It was during this battle that the then captain made a name for himself as being a ferocious fighter as well as a leader, when managed to coordinate fire from 6 other vessels to destroy a Covenant battle cruiser before it could open fire on the colony. His actions that day earned him the respect of a number of UNSC Brass, as well as a major factor in their decision to promote him to commodore, have him take command of the Andromeda task force and later the supreme commander of all UNSC forces in the Worth System.
As he sat and read his daily reports, the intercom on his table buzzed and a voice said, "Admiral, Captain Lear is here to see you."
"Send her in." Morrison replied, as he placed away some of the reports for later. Moments later, a woman in her late thirties and dressed in full captain's uniform entered the room and saluted as she said, "Captain Samantha Lear, reporting as ordered sir!"
"At ease, Captain. Have a seat." Morrison replied, as he motioned to the seat in front his desk. Nodding a bit, Lear took her seat as the admiral began to talk.
"Captain, are you familiar with a species known as the Togruta?" he asked the young female officer seated in front of him.
"I did have the pleasure of meeting a couple of them while my vessel was visiting Corusant." Captain Lear replied. Her vessel, a The Johnathan Price had actually been in orbit of the Republic capital for a few days and had secretly transported 4 Spartans to be apart of the Ambassador's ball that took place during that time "But I am not to familiar with the species as a whole. Why do you ask?"
"A few weeks ago the colonial administration was contacted by the governor of Kiros, a Togruta colony in the Expansion Region. Apparently they had been contacted by the leadership of the CIS and were told that their planet was going to be used as a base for their military. They have now asked for our help." the admiral explained.
"Us sir? But aren't the Togruta apart of the Republic?" the female captain asked the Admiral.
"The Government on there home world are, but the colony's governor contacted us directly for help."
"But why does not the Republic help their own people?"
"Because Kiros had allied themselves with the CIS when the war started." Morrison stated, "They joined up because they had basically been abandoned by the Republic at the beginning of the war. The CIS agreed to shelter them from if they joined the Confederacy, but it looks like that the CIS has turned tail on them as well."
"Sounds like they have been abandoned times 2." Lear commented.
"Indeed they have." the admiral replied, "That is why the TUG has decided to allow the colony to join the UNSC."
Lear could not believe what she had just heard, the TUG was about to allow a former Republic world to join the government. But what was really more shocking was the fact that the planet was populated with Togruta. " I really don't know what to say about that sir."
"I was the same when I first heard that they had agreed to do so." the admiral said, as he got up from his seat and picked up a small data pad from on his desk. "It will be announced that Krios will join the TUG in a couple days. This is where you come in."
"Me sir?"
"A task force is being assembled to be deployed to Kiros and its arrival should coincide with the press release." Morrison informed her.
"Let me guess, my ship is to be apart of this task force." Lear asked him.
"Close, you and your vessel will be leading the operation."
"Excuse me sir?" the young woman asked, a look of stunned disbelief forming on her face.
"Your ship, along with a number of other vessels will be heading to the Kiros system at 2200 hours tonight." he informed her, as he handed her the data pad that held the list of vessels that would be apart of her new command. One particular vessel caught her attention and it caused her to raise an eye brow.
"The Enterprise, sir?" captain Lear queried, as she pointed out the presence of one of the UNSC's super carrier in her task force. "Is command expecting some kind of confrontation when we arrive?"
Sighing heavily, Morrison got up from his seat and replied, "Intelligence reports that there was another government within the CIS that was more than eager to have the Togruta colony join the CIS. The Zygerrians."
"Why would these Zygerrians be so eager to have this particular planet join the CIS?"
"The Zygerrians are slavers." Morrison replied, disgust heavy in his voice as her spoke. "We believe that they were planing to 'take advantage' of Kiros being a member of the CIS. Recent reconnaissance missions within Zygerrian space have shown an increase in traffic activity in and around the Zygerrian home world."
"I am guessing that these slavers may not be too happy when they find out that their would be new slaves are now citizens of the Terran Union?"
"Well actually Kiros would be considered a "Territory" of the Union and it's population would be recognized as our nationals." Morrison explained, "But they would have the ability to govern themselves as they seem fit and rely on the UNSC for protection."
"In short they effectively become members of the TUG?" the destroyer captain asked the supreme commander. Morrison nodded and replied "More or less anyway. Your fleet shall be departing at 2200 hours, I suggest that you get back to your vessel and prepare for departure. Dismissed!"
"Yes sir!" Captain Lear replied, before she exited the admiral quarters and made her way back to the hanger bay to return to her vessel.
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Within a matter of hours, 12 vessels out of the UNSC's Andromeda first fleet has broken away from the main formation and were currently making their way out of the system under full impulse power. At the head of the formation was the squadron' s flag ship, The UNSC Johnathan Price and flanking the Jacob Keys-class destroyer were its sister ships, the Omar Bradly and Sampson.
Behind them was the massive UNSC Enterprise, one of only 4 super carriers that were currently assigned to the Andromeda galaxy and was one ofe the newest Rock of Gibraltar-class carries to be built. Flanking it on either side were the new "Battle of Thermopylae-class" battle cruisers Prince of Whales and Wrath of God. Both of which were a massive 3000 meters in length and armed with dual MACs which were able to fire a 900 tonne round at 75,000 kilometers per second, these new ships of the line were nicknamed "Jeep Infinities"
Bringing up the rear was the United Nations Space Command Auxiliary (UNSCA) Port of Miami, a converted colony ship which was now being used as a fleet tender/ resupply ship. It was one of the few vessels within the UNSC to have both military and civilian crew members on board. Finally, the destroyers John Paul Jones, Ajax and Aizaki rounded off the rear of the squadron.
On the bridge of the Johnathan Price, Captain Lear sat in her chair as she read the final reports to come in. Suddenly the holographic image of a middle aged man with a some what thick beard and dressed in a pair of cargo pants with a thick sweater and a beret with a small SAS insignia, appeared on the small console on the captain's chair.
"All ships have reported in and the fleet is ready to enter slip space on your command." the hologram said with a grizzled British accent.
"Thank you, Bravo." Lear said to the ship's A.I. "Tell the Fleet that we shall enter slip space in two minutes."
"Yes Ma'am." the hologram replied, before it vanished to carry out it's orders.
Soon the ships within the squadron moved into position and got ready to make the jump to slip space. Numerous ruptures appeared in front the cluster of ships before each one of them entered the portal. All of them en route on a mission to welcome the Terran Union's member.
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"Count Dooku... you must understand that we had a agreement and that you would provide us with slaves." Queen Miraj Scintel said with almost a pleading tone, as she exchanged words with the leader of CIS. "It was one of the reasons why we joined the Confederacy in the first place."
"Yes and I do understand how you feel right now, but the colonist made their decision clear and decided to join the Terran Union." The sith lord told the Zygerrian queen in a calm tone, but on the inside the count was more furious than anything. The Terran Union's announcement that the planet Kiros as well as its entire Togruta population of eighty million had agreed to become apart of the TUG had basically stunned both the Republic and the CIS.
This move could not have come at an worse time for Count Dooku, as he had promised the Zygerrian queen that her people's slaver empire would be rebuilt once he had managed to get the Togrutan governor to allow the CIS to "relocate" the entire population. But instead of taking the count's word that his people would be safe, the governor had actually gone to the Terrans for help and in the end they had now become under the dominion of the TUG and by extension, the UNSC. Which now meant that if either the CIS or the Republic made a move to invade the planet the UNSC would enter the conflict.
A move that could be disastrous of either side, seeing that neither the Republic or the Confederacy were in a position to fight a war on two fronts.
"The Terrans have no right to claim that planet as a colony!" The queen said in a harsh tone to Dooku. Usually a bad thing to do when dealing with a Sith lord.
"The Terrans did not claim the planet, your majesty." Dooku replied, secretly wishing that the queen was there in person and not in hologram form. "The Togruta willingly allied themselves with them. As far as I am concerned, the deal is off."
"I demand that you take back that planet at once!" Miraj demanded in an angrily, "As a member of the CIS... "
"You are in no position to be making demands!" Dooku replied sternly. "Your would be slaves are gone!"
"Fine... if you won't get our slaves back, then my people will!"
"That is highly ill advised, your majesty. The Terrans woulds have more than likely stationed a few of their warships in orbit. To engage them to be risking starting a war your people would not win." the count told the Queen, "And besides, I am very certain that the senate would agree to support a war just to regain your lost slaves, half of them do even want you in the CIS."
"Then my people will go it alone!" Miraj said firmly, "Consider the Zygerrian people no longer members of you Confederacy!" and with that, the link was cut and the hologram vanished. Leaving the count alone with his thoughts.
"A shame, they would have done so well in the empire..."
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'Breaking News out of the Andromeda Galaxy. At 1100 hours, Earth Standard Time, the TUG has unanimously voted to declare war against the government of Zygerria.
The move comes after a fleet of Zygerrian vessels attacked the UNSC fleet stationed around the planet Kiros, demanding that the population of the planet belonged to them. In retaliation the fleet in orbit returned fire, resulting in the total destruction of the Zygerrian force. While the UNSCA Port of Miami and 2 other vessels were damaged during the exchange.
Though the reason for the attack is still unknown, it is possible that the Zygerrians had originally intended to attack the planet and enslave the population, since the Zygerrian race are known for there slave trade.
Then in a shocking turn of events, the President of the Confederacy of Independent Systems announced that the Zygerrian government were no longer apart of the CIS and that they would support any form of action against the Zygerria.
It is said that a UNSC counter attack should begin within a matter of hours and we will bring you details as they develop.
For Galactic News Network, this is Paul Mayweather outside the TUG parliament building in Geneva.'
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Queen Scintel could have never foreseen the disaster she had caused for her people and their civilization, as she looked helplessly into the sky from her balcony. At this point in their history the Zygerrian should have had their massive slavery empire rebuilt and she would have been seen as the queen that had given birth to the second golden age for her people. But instead, she had sown the seeds of the own demise.
"Your majesty." a voice called to her from inside her room. The voice as it turned out belonged to one of her personal guards, the very few that had not abandon her at the twilight of their civilization's demise. "Your Majesty, did you call for me?"
"Ye... yes I did." the once proud queen replied, he voice betraying the fact that she felt nothing but sadness and fear. " I have one final act to decree and I want you to ensure that it happens."
"Yes your majesty." the loyal guard said with a bow.
"I... I want you to.. to ensure that all the slaves are released at once." Scintel told her guard, just barely bringing herself to say those words.
"Your majesty?"
"Just do it!" she snapped, not wanting to repeat her self. "At one your majesty." the now stunned guard replied, before giving one final bow and heading off to carry out his orders.
The queen could feel the tears begin to roll down her eyes, as she returned to her place on the balcony. It was her own arrogance that had cased what was happening around her, she had failed to realize that the galaxy had changed and the price for her failure was her people and their civilization. At one point she could not help but to wonder if this feeling of despair was the same feeling that many of her slave felt when they realized that all hope was lost and that there freedom was gone forever.
That was her only thought, as she saw the clouds in the sky part and the shapes of what were possibly Terran landing craft began to descend from the sky.
