Star Wars: Odyssey of the Infinity

by IX404

During a routine safety test, the Slipstream Space Drive of the Infinity malfunctions, catapulting them into unknown space. Little do Lasky and the members of the Infinity know is that they will soon change the fate of a far away galaxy.

6. Deliberations at Yavin

Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo/Star Wars redux.

Writing this chapter was one of the greater challenges that I'm going to be facing with this crossover. Either way, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

As always, leave a review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or Star Wars franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, Disney Films, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers, producers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not on any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.

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UNSC Infinity

Arriving At Rendezvous Coordinates

April 13th 0BBY, 9:30AM (October 28th, 2558, 9:30AM)

The air on the bridge was thick with tension as the crew finished preparing to drop out of Slipstream Space. Standing at his post, Captain Lasky watched as everyone quickly settled in for the drop out of Slipspace. Nearby, Envoy Melody paced at her post, wracked with nervous energy, while standing nearby was Blue Team, ready to intervene should anything go wrong.

It's been two days since we arrived in this brave new galaxy, Lasky thought as he made sure his dress uniform was good to go for the umpteenth time. I don't know what awaits us on the other side, but whatever happens next, I know that I will do what is necessary to protect my crew. He also had confidence that his crew would do the same for him. Ever since Requiem, the bonds between each member of the crew had grown strong.

Melody, who had sensed some of his tension, said, "We'll be all right, Lasky. I'm sure that, whatever happens next, we'll will survive under your leadership."

"I know," Lasky replied. "Just the usual nerves before emerging out of Slipspace is all. I wouldn't have agreed to head to this rendezvous point with the Rebel Fleet if I decided otherwise. I'm just worried about what will come next in the future, especially since we'll be dealing with two completely different factions."

"I am too, but I won't let it get in the way of what I do," Melody reassured him. "Besides, it's not every day that we make contact with another faction. Still, part of me wonders how the crew will take this."

Lasky nodded in agreement. As far as he could tell, the Alliance to Restore the Republic was like this galaxy's own Insurrection, only it was clear that their complaints were justified by the Empire remaining heavy handed. In a sense, we're looking at a macrocosm of what was going on with the Insurrection before the Human-Covenant War, he noted. I guess, even in other galaxies, history repeats itself. A smaller part of him wondered if Humanity, even in other galaxies, was damned to repeat what had happened in the past.

All thoughts of that, however, were quickly pushed to the side when Lieutenant James said, "Sir, we're approaching our exit point. Permission to begin dropout protocols?"

"Granted," Lasky replied. "Might as well find out where the rendezvous point is at. Begin Slipstream Space Exit Protocols."

"Copy that," James replied. "Initiating Slipspace exit. Gabriela, can you assist?"

"Affirmative," Gabriela replied. "Slipstream Space exit in five… four… three… two… one… zero."

At that precise moment, the Slipspace Drive onboard the Infinity engaged one of its subsystems. A small rift in the fabric of space-time was created by the drive, before being rapidly expanded into a portal large enough for the Infinity to pass through. Within seconds, the Infinity left the stygian void of slipspace and entered the four dimensions of the normal universe once more. Viewports on the bridge retracted, allowing Lasky to see where the Infinity had arrived at. As they lowered, Lasky asked, "Where have we arrived?"

"Scanning," Gabriela replied. After a few seconds, she said, "We've arrived in what appears to be a three planet star system. One is a captured body if it's highly elliptical orbit is anything to tell by, while the other is too close to its home star to be habitable. I'm also detecting a large gas giant. Scans indicate that there are a number of orbiting bodies around it. One of the coordinates that Admiral Raddus shared with us will take us close to one of the bodies orbiting the gas giant."

"How long until we arrive?" Lasky asked.

"If we perform an intra-system jump, we should reach the planet within five minutes. I would recommend, however, that we come out of slipspace around 150,000 kilometers from the planet itself. We wouldn't want to spook whoever's there, after all."

"Fair point," Lasky agreed. "Navigator, perform an intra-system jump and bring us out 150,000km from those coordinates."

"You got it, Captain," James replied. After working at the console for a minute, he said, "Course plotted. On your go."

"Copy that," Gabriela replied. Once more, the ship moved forwards, with another Slipspace portal opening before the ship. For ten seconds, the ship remained inside of Slipstream Space, before coming out of yet another portal that was formed.

This time, Lasky got a good look at whatever was at the coordinates that Raddus had provided them. Looming ahead was the gas giant that Gabriela had detected earlier, with the massive planet to the starboard side of the ship. It was a maroon-crimson color, with that color reminding Lasky of photographs he'd seen of Sangheilios, the homeworld of the Sangheili.

Directly ahead, however, was another object of interest for him to see. The object they were near was one of the gas giant's moons, though that wasn't what had his attention. What had his attention was that it looked completely different than what he had expected. Rather than a lifeless, tidally locked ball of sun blasted rock that would be chilled to just a few degrees above absolute zero on the other side, this moon had an atmosphere, verdant green continents and small blue-green seas.

Lasky wasn't the only one surprised by the sight. Nearby, Melody gasped, while other members of the crew uttered whispered vocalizations. "Damn…," Lieutenant Ryder whistled. "I thought we were going to be seeing a lifeless rock. I guess I was wrong."

"Me too," Lasky added. "Gabriela, what are we looking at?"

"I just did a scan," Gabriela informed them. "From what I can tell, not all of the gas giant's moons are uninhabitable. Scans of the one we're near indicates that it's around 80% as large as Earth is. Other scans show that it has an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere similar to Earth in composition, and that only 8% of its surface is covered by water. If those were the reasons why Admiral Raddus chose the coordinates he did, then I'm not surprised at all."

"There's something else to note too," Lieutenant Ryder added. "I'm picking up numerous transmissions coming from the planet's surface. My guess, Captain, is that Raddus has either brought us to where his bosses are at, or an outpost of theirs."

"That makes sense," Lasky remarked.

Just them, Gabriela said, "Captain Lasky, Senator Leia Organa is wishing to speak with us."

"Send her through," Lasky replied. Once Gabriela nodded, he said, "Captain Lasky to Senator Leia Organa. Do you read me?"

"Yes," came Leia's reply. "Have we arrived at our destination?"

"Yes. From what we can tell, the rendezvous coordinates have brought us to what appears to be a habitable planet of some kind. Sending you a video feed." Motioning to Gabriela, he had her send a video feed of where they were at.

A response wasn't long in coming. "I know that planet," Leia informed him. "That's Yavin 4. If Admiral Raddus has brought you here, then either it is the base of the Rebel Alliance, or one of their outposts. Either way, I would advise caution, Captain. Who knows how they might react if they see your ship coming."

"My thoughts exactly," Lasky agreed. "As such, Leia, I was wondering if, should there be any members of the Rebel Alliance here, you could intercede for us. You're a known Senator throughout the galaxy, so you're in the best possible position to ensure that any meeting with the Rebel Alliance goes smoothly."

There was silence as Leia considered his words, then she said, "That would be most agreeable, Captain Lasky. I'll speak to them on your behalf, that way we can avoid a needless engagement with them. With that in mind, we are requesting undocking clearance from the Infinity."

"Murphy?" Lasky asked.

"Granted," Lieutenant Murphy replied. "Flight Officer Merrick will be overseeing your departure. Bridge out."

"Thank you, Captain Lasky, for this opportunity, and thank you for being such a kind host. We will not forget it. Senator Leia Organa out."

"Same here," Lasky replied. "Captain Lasky, over and out." Keying another frequency for the 'com, he said, "Captain Lasky to Flight Officer Merrick. Are you there?" He released the call button, awaiting a response.

. . .

Down in Hangar Bay 21-D, Fight Officer Merrick was quickly getting the flight crews ready to assist the Tantive IV in departing from the Infinity. Hearing Lasky's 'com call, he said, "Affirmative, sir. Gabriela just sent us a feed of Leia's request to undock from the Infinity. We're going to work on that right now, sir."

"Good," Lasky replied. "Make sure that this is a smooth undock. We don't want any trouble to occur."

"Yes, sir," Merrick replied. Closing the 'com channel and looking at each of the crew heads, he said, "You heard the man! It's time to help this bird get out of here! I want everyone monitoring the ship's progress until she leaves the hangar!"

"Yes, sir!" the others shouted. Before long, each of them was going to work ensuring that the Tantive IV was ready for departure. Purple uniformed officer coordinated with the Tantive IVs pilot in verifying fuel loads, while white, green and red uniformed personnel quickly went to work ensuring that the ship would be able to safely undock from the Infinity. Before long, one of the white uniformed personnel gave Merrick a thumbs up, indicating the ship was ready to undock. Merrick quickly sent back a sign language message, before keying his COM. "Tantive IV, this is Flight Officer Merrick, standby for final checks." Switching frequencies, he said, "Flight Officer Merrick to Lieutenant Murphy, permission to begin undocking procedures?"

"Granted," Murphy replied. "Tantive IV is cleared to undock. Cortana and Gabriela are standing by to assist."

"Copy that," Merrick replied. "Beginning undocking procedures now." Motioning to the white uniformed personnel, he quickly signed to them their instructions. Nodding, the Landing Signal Officer quickly took up position, while the red uniformed personnel quickly took up positions in case an emergency occurred. "Cortana, Gabriela, it's your show now."

"Understood," Cortana replied…

Onboard the Tantive IV, Captain Antilles proceeded to the bridge, with the door sliding open to permit him inside. Ever since they had come aboard the Infinity, the ship had begun to do a lot better. Those 'Huragok' are nothing short of miracle workers, he said to himself. Just two days aboard the Infinity, and the Tantive IV's running better than when she came out from the shipyards. Even the lights, he noted, were brighter than they usually were, though not uncomfortably so.

As soon as he entered, the pilot looked up at him and said, "Sir, we have permission to undock from the Infinity. We're ready to begin on your go."

"Good," Antilles replied. "Signal Merrick and inform him that we are ready."

"Affirmative," the Comms Officer replied. Keying the comm system, he said, "Flight Officer Merrick, we are ready to proceed."

"Copy that," Merrick replied. "Cortana and Gabriela are ready to assist your ship in leaving the Infinity. Open a COM channel to the Infinity and keep it open until instructed otherwise."

"Roger that." Closing that frequency, the Comms Officer quickly switched to the Infinity's COM frequency and opened a channel. "Tantive IV to Infinity, we are beginning undock. Request permission for assistance."

"Affirmative," Cortana replied. "Linking to your flight systems now." Outside, the jury rigged docking clamps that had held onto the Tantive IV for two days released their grasp, allowing the ship's repulsorlift systems to keep the ship off the ground. Under Cortana and Gabriela's guidance, the Tantive IV slowly backed out of Hangar Bay 21-D, with the ship's rear engines leaving the magcon field just seconds after the large hangar doors had fully opened. Within a half minute, the Tantive IV had left the safety of the Infinity and was now in the cold vacuum of space.

As soon as it had backed up some distance from the Infinity, Cortana and Gabriela released their control over the Tantive IV. "Cortana to the Tantive IV, you're good to go from here."

"Copy that," the Comms Officer replied. Looking at Antilles, he said, "Captain, we are good to go."

"Understood," Antilles replied. "And Cortana? Thanks… for helping us out."

"It was our pleasure, Captain," Cortana replied before closing the COM frequency.

At that moment, Leia entered the bridge of the Tantive IV. "Now comes the most difficult part of all," she said.

. . .

Down on the surface of Yavin IV, the command center inside of the Rebel Alliance's HQ was a flurry of activity as personnel ran to and fro. Walking towards one of the officers that was monitoring sensors scattered near Yavin IV, General Jan Dodonna asked, "What is it? Are we under attack?"

"Unknown at this point," the officer replied. "Sensors picked up an unusual amount of activity around half a light-second from the planet. We're still trying to get confirmation, But it appears we've one ship approaching us." Walking over to a small viewscreen, he punched in a series of commands.

The screen flickered, before showing General Dodonna what they were looking at. On a field of stars, with the gas giant of Yavin Prime in the upper section of the feed, was a small bright dot that was moving towards them at high speed. A preliminary scan showed that it was moving at 300,000 kilometers per hour, fast enough to where it would reach the planet in just half an hour. Another scan showed that the object was roughly 5 kilometers in length.

Seeing the dot, and the information readout on the screen, General Dodonna had a good idea as to what it was. "It would appear that General Raddus has brought the Star Dreadnought to our system," he observed. "Until we know for certain, though, have the entire base go to red alert and deploy our X-Wing squadrons. It never hurts to be cautious."

"Understood," the officer replied. Walking over to another group of personnel, he said, "Scramble our X-Wing Squadrons. Have the base go to red alert and -"

He was promptly interrupted when the Comms Officer in the room said, "Sir! I'm picking up a HoloCom transmission from the unknown contact! It appears that there are actually two ships approaching the planet! The other one's transponder indicates that it's the Tantive IV!"

That got General Dodonna's attention almost immediately. "Put it through, now!" he ordered.

A few seconds later, Leia's voice came in over the speakers at the map table that dominated the center of the room. "This is Senator Leia Organa. Do not fire on the Tantive IV or the Infinity! We come in peace!"

Looking at the other officers, who were able to scramble the X-Wing Squadrons, Dodonna said, "Belay that previous order! Send up a single Squadron as an escort and do not fire on the Star Dreadnought!" Turning his attention back to the HoloCom channel that was open, he said, "This is General Dodonna of the Rebel Alliance to Imperial Senator Leia Organa. We read you loud and clear."

"Thank the Force," Leia sighed. "We were worried that the Infinity would have been fired upon when we arrived. There's been enough going on as it is."

"Agreed," Dodonna replied. Looking up, he spotted Mon Mothma coming into the room. "Tantive IV, stand by," he said, before walking over to Mon Mothma.

"What is going on?" Mon Mothma asked.

"Senator Leia Organa has arrived, ma'am," General Dodonna replied. "She has also brought the Star Dreadnought known as the Infinity with her. Apparently, Captain Lasky was worried that we might fire on his ship and has Leia interceding for him so that there isn't a diplomatic incident."

"I see," Mon Mothma noted. "That is a very wise decision on his part. Would you mind if I were to speak with Senator Leia?"

"Not at all," Dodonna said. "I was just about to grant the Tantive IV and the Infinity permission to enter orbit around Yavin IV when you arrived. I will go ahead and do so, and I'll have you speak with Leia once I'm done."

"Thank you," Mon Mothma replied.

Walking back over to the Comm Officer's station, Dodonna keyed the HoloCom and said, "Tantive IV, this is General Dodonna, you have permission to enter orbit around Yavin IV. In addition, Mon Mothma would like to speak with you."

"Of course," Leia replied.

At Dodonna stepping back, Mon Mothma leaned in closer. "Senator Organa, can you hear me?" Mon Mothma asked.

"Yes, Mon Mothma," Leia replied. "What is it that you need?"

"I would like to speak with Captain Lasky of the Star Dreadnought known as the Infinity."

"Of course," Leia replied. "You'll have to use a more primitive radio wave transmission, though. Their communications system is not fully compatible with our own. I am also certain that Captain Lasky would be willing to speak with you as well."

"Very good," Mon Mothma said. "I will take his transmission in my private quarters. Mon Mothma out." Closing the HoloCom channel, she said, "Should you need anything, I will be in my quarters."

"Understood," Dodonna replied. "I'll scramble an X-Wing squadron to serve as the Infinity's escort."

"Sir!" the Sensors Officer Dodonna had spoken with earlier reported. "I've got hyperspace signatures approaching the planet. IFF readings indicate that it's the Profundity and the rest of the Rebel Fleet."

"Looks like they've just arrived," Mon Mothma noted.

"Better late than never," Dodonna added. "Comms, get in touch with the Profundity and inform them that the Infinity has arrived. Inform Raddus and Antoc Merrick that their presence is requested at a meeting we'll be holding."

. . .

Onboard the Infinity, Lasky watched as the planet drew ever closer to Yavin 4, the presumed location for the Rebel Alliance's main base. As it drew closer, Lieutenant Jespersen said, "Sir, we're receiving a transmission from the Tantive IV. Shall I put it through?"

"Go ahead," Lasky replied. As soon as Jespersen indicated that the COM channel was open, he said, "Captain Lasky to Senator Organa. Do you copy? Over."

"We do," Leia replied. "I just received a transmission from Yavin IV. Mon Mothma, my mentor and friend, is wanting to speak with you. I'm sending you her frequency now. In addition, your ship's been given clearance to enter orbit around Yavin IV."

"Understood. I'll take it in my private quarters. Lasky out."

"I've also got FTL signatures arriving near Yavin IV," Ryder reported. "Looks like the Profundity and the other ships in the Rebel Fleet have arrived."

"Looks like it," Lasky noted. "Is Admiral Raddus there?"

Right on cue, Admiral Raddus' voice came in over the COM. "This Admiral Raddus to Captain Lasky. Do you read me?"

"I copy you," Lasky replied. "Good to see that you're in one piece."

"Same here," Raddus added. "General Dodonna has informed me that we'll be meeting with each other in a meeting should you chose to come as well. I just wanted to inform you that I am grateful for your assistance at Scarif, and that it will be a pleasure to work alongside you should the opportunity arise."

"Same here," Lasky agreed. "Captain Lasky out." Closing the COM channel, he looked to James and said, "Take us closer to Yavin IV. Enter geosynchronous orbit and keep us there until further notice. I'll be in my quarters if any of you need anything. Melody, with me." With that, Lasky and Melody strode out of the bridge, while Lieutenant James continued working at his station…

Entering his private quarters, Lasky opened up a COM channel and put in the frequency that Leia had sent to the ship. Stepping towards the large screen that was in his quarters, he said, "This is Captain Lasky speaking. Does anyone on this channel read me? Over." He waited for a response.

He didn't have to wait for long. Within a few seconds, a woman's voice came in, with the voice being refined and carrying an accent that he didn't recognize. "I read you clearly, Captain Lasky. Is Melody present?"

"I am," Melody said.

"Then greetings to both of you. I am Mon Mothma, one of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance. Leia has told me much about you and Melody."

"I'll bet she has," Lasky replied.

"Is this a courtesy call?" Melody asked.

"More of a request, Melody," Mon Mothma replied. "I would like to hold a meeting with Rebel High Command and greet you two in person. We have much to discuss, and I would like the opportunity to meet you in person, though if you do not wish to speak with us in person, then we will honor that decision."

Lasky mulled over the request in his mind. It was clear to him that Mon Mothma wanted to see him face to face, though it was not clear as to why she would. Maybe she wants to see the face of the ship's captain, a part of his mind said quietly, or maybe she wants to bring us over to the Rebel Alliance. Either way, we have to play the hand we've been dealt carefully, or we might not come out of this one intact. Clearing his throat, he said, "I believe that would be prudent. When would you like me to come and meet with you all?"

"Whenever you are able to," Mon Mothma replied. "We are not in a rush, after all."

"Understood," Melody replied. "I will meet with you in thirty five minutes."

"Thank you," Mon Mothma said. "We await your arrival. Mon Mothma out."

"Understood. Captain Lasky, over and out." Closing the COM channel, he turned and said, "Cortana, have Jyn Erso, Jordan MacCallum and Blue Team meet with us in Hangar 21-D and have a squad of ODSTs and Marines suit up and head to the hangar too. Have a quaratine crew prepare masks for us as well. We're going planet side." With that, he quickly strode towards the exit of his quarters.

. . .

A few minutes later, Lasky and the people he requested were in Hangar 21-D. Standing near a Pelican, Chief and the rest of Blue Team stood silently, ready to act as soon as Lasky gave the order. In addition, a squad of Marines and ODSTs were present, as were Melody Azikiwe and Jordan MacCallum. Jordan had swapped out his engineer's uniform with a suit that looked reminiscent of 21st century three-piece suits. His hair had been neatly brushed, with the entire get-up making him look like a businessman that was about to hold an important meeting.

There was another team that was nearby as well. Dressed in crew uniforms was the quarantine crew, who's purpose was to ensure that no foreign pathogens came aboard the Infinity. It was this crew that had set up the sterile field generator that had decontaminated Leia when she came aboard the Infinity. One of them, a tall, burly man with blue eyes by the name Harold Jones, came over to them. In his arms were a series of masks, each one made from an transparent material, while on either side of the 'nose' were a pair of rectangular protrusions. A pair of self-adjusting straps were looped behind each of the masks.

"Here you go," he told them, his voice gruff and deep. "Each facial mask has a filtration unit that will filter out almost all foreign contaminants from the air. Each filter will last for around 72 hours at the minimum, though don't get into any heavily contaminated areas, or their lifespans will be cut by two thirds. Don't get into any firefights either, as these masks are not bulletproof. A small device inside of the masks will beep should the filters start losing efficacy."

"We'll be careful," Lasky reassured him. "We didn't come this far to start a fight, and we didn't come this far to cause problems with the health of the crew."

"Good," Jones replied. "I've built similar filters into the helmets the Marines wear. The ODSTs and Spartans should be fine, as their helmets have integrated filters for that exact purpose. Should all go well, you'll just need to be within a sterile field for around two minutes, and then you'll be fine. Within a few weeks, the doctors should have vaccinations and medications ready for any diseases we encounter in this galaxy." Stepping back after handing Lasky the masks, he saluted him and said, "Good luck down there, Captain."

"You too," Lasky replied. Motioning to the others, he had them board, before doing so himself. "Cortana, you ready?"

"Affirmative," Cortana replied. "I'm safely ensconced inside of Chief's armor."

"Good." Turning to the pilot of the Pelican, he said. "Pilot, we're good to go!"

"Copy that," the pilot replied. "Delta-3-5-1 to Lieutenant Murphy. Permission to take off? Over."

"Copy that," Murphy replied. "Take off clearance granted." Outside, Merrick and the others got into position, before he gave the Delta 351 the signal to take off. Nodding at that, the pilot slowly increased the throttle. Outside of the ship, the hybrid fusion thrusters that allowed the Pelican to fly in atmosphere and space roared to live. Within seconds, the entire VTOL was off the ground, with the landing struts retracting before the vehicle flew out of the hangar bay and into the cold vacuum of space.

"OK, here's the plan," Lasky informed the team. "We'll split into two teams. Blue Team will come with me, along with Azikiwe, to the meeting with the Rebel Alliance. Team Alpha will remain at the Pelican. Jordan, I'll need you to acquire a Hyperdrive for your plan to work, but do it legally. We don't want to cause a ruckus down there."

"I'll be on my best behavior, sir," Jordan replied.

"Good. Beyond that, no one fires unless we're fired upon. We're here to peacefully meet with the Rebel Alliance's leadership, not start a war. Should a firefight breakout, apply the minimum force necessary to get us out safely. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Chief replied.

"Good," Lasky said. Handing Melody and Jordan the masks, he was given, he said, "Put those on. They'll protect us from any microbes our bodies don't have any defenses against." Taking the masks, the trio quickly put them on and made sure that the masks they were now wearing were snugly and comfortably fitted. All they needed to do now, was wait.

The Pelican shook slightly as it flew towards Yavin IV. The pilot calmly flew towards the planet when he spotted something. Checking the Pelican's sensors, he spotted eight fighters that were flying towards him. He was about to inform Lasky when a voice spoke up over the COM. "Unidentified shuttle, this is Blue Leader. Do you read me?"

"This is Delta 3-5-1. I copy," Delta 351 replied. "I read you five by five."

"Understood," Blue Leader replied. "We've been sent to provide an escort for you to Rebel HQ. Follow the flight plan that we are sending to you now. Any deviation will be seen as a hostile action. Understood?"

"Understood," Delta 351 replied. Noting a new file being sent to the Pelican, he quickly punched the flight path into the autopilot, before allowing the computer to take over flying the Pelican to the destination. Before long, they were reentering the planet's atmosphere, with the Pelican being jostled around as it flew.

As it did so, Lasky and Chief walked into the cockpit. As soon as they entered, the fiery plasma of reentry faded, allowing them to see the surface of Yavin IV for themselves. As soon as he saw the planet, Chief was reminded of images of the planet Arcadia, one of a few resort colonies that had been attacked by the Covenant. Just like Arcadia, Yavin IV was literally covered in a massive rainforest.

As they flew along, Blue Leader spoke up. "Delta 3-5-1, this is Blue Leader. We're sending you the frequency for the control tower. Contact them for landing clearance."

"Copy that," Delta 351 replied. Seeing the frequency, he quickly punched it it. "Yavin IV Space Traffic Control, this is Delta 3-5-1. Requesting permission to land. Over."

"Copy that," a woman's voice said, "Maintain current flight level. Reduce speed to 180 kilometers per hour and begin descent when ready."

. . .

At one of the landing pads, Wedge Antilles nervously waited for the arrival of the newcomers, the ones that had made the Battle of Scarif look like a playground scat. Nearby, other Rebel Troopers waited as well, each one armed with A280C blaster rifles and DH-17 blaster pistols. Even the area around them was filled with nervous silence as they waited.

If there was one thing that Wedge Antilles didn't like, it was that same tension. For the first time in his life, he was facing a true unknown, the kind that either was going to be a really good thing, or a really bad thing. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly, letting the tension in his body fade away. His thoughts were interrupted when another man nudged him. "Hey? You OK?"

Recognizing the voice, Wedge turned towards the man in question. A tall and burly man with dark brown hair, brown eyes and a heavy-set face, Wes Janson was one of Wedge Antilles' friends. A mischievous and casual person, Wes liked to play pranks on his fellow squadmates, though when the going got rough, he was nothing short of a lethal combatant and he fought with an grim, angry determination that made him especially dangerous towards the Empire and any of its allies.

"I'm fine," Wedge replied. "Just worried is all."

Wes smiled. "No need to be worried, Wedge. These guys screwed over the Empire at Scarif, so they'll be friendly towards us. Who knows? They might have pretty women."

Wedge gave him a slight push. It was well known that Janson was something of a 'ladies-man' and often flirted with the women on the base. This didn't make him less likable, though, as Wes knew his limits and knew when to leave a woman alone when she wanted him to. "Screw you!" he grumbled good-naturedly, a smile on his face. "You and your flirtatious fetishes!" Becoming more serious, he said, "Either way, be ready if anything happens. The last thing we need is a diplomatic incident."

Wes' casual expression became serious. "Don't worry," he reassured Wedge. "I do not intend cause a diplomatic incident, nor do I intend to let one happen. Against guys like this 'UNSC', the last thing we want is that." With that, he resumed his position, with Wedge doing the same.

It wasn't long before they both heard a sound that usually came from starfighters. Looking up and to his right, Wedge spotted a flight of X-Wings, as well as a ship that he hadn't seen before. It resembled some kind of alien creature, with the large, bulbous section having two stubby wings that branched off from its sides. As it approached, it spun around, revealing the large, bulbous section tapered off rapidly to a thinner section. Four powerful thrusters kept it in the air, with the wings and the thrusters in the back angling around to keep the vehicle in the air. As it approached the ground, four small struts that had wheels extended, with the vehicle landing on the ground moments later.

Both Wedge and Wes looked at each other. While it had approached peacefully, both of them had spotted what looked like a chin mounted turret underneath what was likely the canopy. Now that they were looking at the back, they could see a hatch that was located in the sloped section just before the thinner section of the ship. A moment later, two metal slats moved to the sides and upwards, with a long ramp being deployed.

It was then that Wedge got his first look at the newcomers themselves. Fourteen men, all of them fully armored from head to toe, quickly advanced out of the shuttle and took up formation around the ramp, with seven men on either side in two lines. A moment later, a human being with brown hair and brown eyes walked down the steps, alongside a woman with brown hair and turquoise eyes. The man was wearing a dress uniform, while the woman had what passed for formal wear where they had come from. There was another man present, though he was in the back, preventing Wedge from seeing him. All three of them were wearing masks, likely to prevent infection by unknown diseases.

It was the four heavily armored persons, though, that had his attention the most. The first of the quadruple wore a black body suit that was covered in thick, dull green armor plates, while the visor of the man's helmet was a orange-yellow color. The moment Wedge saw him, he quickly got the feeling that this was more than just an ordinary man. The same could be said of the others behind him, though their armor was gray with blue accents, rather than dull green.

Here we go, he said to himself. Swallowing the primal fear that had been screaming at him in his mind, he stepped forwards and said, "Welcome to Yavin IV. I'm Captain Wedge Antilles. With me is Lieutenant Wes Janson. We're here to escort you to Rebel High Command."

"I see," the man noted quietly. "I'm Captain Thomas Lasky of the UNSC and Commanding Officer of the Infinity. With me is Envoy Melody Azikiwe of the United Earth Government, Ship Systems Specialist Jordan MacCallum of the United Earth Government, as well as Blue Team and fourteen members of the UNSC Marines and ODSTs. We thank you for taking the time to see us."

"Likewise," Wedge replied. "If you'll follow us, we'll take you to the meeting chamber where Rebel High Command is located at."

"Lead the way," Lasky replied. Turning towards Jordan, he said, "Have two guards come with you. I'll see if we can get you what you need."

"Understood," Jordan replied.

Turning around, Wedge said, "About face! March!" With that, the Rebel Troopers turned around and began marching in step towards the base itself. As they did so, Wedge looked at Lasky and asked, "What's with the masks on your face? Is that for preventing diseases from being transmitted?"

"Yes," Lasky replied. "We're from another galaxy, so diseases we're at have evolved different from ones here."

Wedge nodded understandingly. "I get it," he said. "Don't want to have an outbreak on your ship. That's perfectly understandable." With that, they continued on towards the base.

As they did so, Lasky took the time to examine his surroundings. Much of the base was surrounded by the dense rainforest, with clearings being cut for walkways to other facilities. Up ahead, he could see a tall, pyramid-like structure that he guessed held the command center for the Rebel Alliance. All around them, personnel went to and fro about their duties, though some did stop to gaze at the newcomers.

When they entered the structure, Lasky spotted more of the fighters that had escorted them to the landing pad behind them. Looking up, he could see what looked like a pair of hangar doors that had been retrofitted into the stone structure they were now in. "Interesting layout," he noted. "I take it that the X-Wings have VTOL capabilities?"

"Yes," Wedge replied. "They use repulsorlifts to get out of the hangar bay doors, before flying away from the base." Turning towards them slightly, he asked, "What's with the heavily armed guards? Was that because of the war you guys fought?"

"Yes," Lasky replied. "It only ended around five years ago. Ever since then, we've learned the price of complacency. As a result, all high ranking UNSC personnel and UEG personnel are to have body guards at all times."

"Damn…" Wedge whistled. "I can see why. You guys really went through a rough war over there. Glad to see that all of you are OK. I wouldn't want the Covenant to come after me." He shivered as he said this, the images from the broadcast flashing through his mind.

Moving through hallways, Lasky noted more of the architecture, as well as the equipment the Rebels were using. From the looks of it, they were getting by with whatever they could get their hands on. We might start having to do the same before long, he noted.

Eventually, they entered a small chamber that had enough room to house fifty people comfortably. Surrounding a small table where several individuals, all of them ranging from human beings to alien races that Lasky had never seen before. Leading them all, however, was a woman in a white and blue dress. Her auburn hair was tied up in a bun, while her pale blue-green eyes shone in the lighting of the room. As soon as Lasky and the others entered, the door was closed behind them, though the Spartans and Marines remained in formation around Lasky and the others.

As soon as they had entered, the woman stood up and said, "Greetings, Captain Lasky. I am Mon Mothma, the leader of the Rebel Alliance. With me are Generals Jan Dodonna of Commenor and Antoc Merrick of Virjanis, along with Admiral Raddus of Mon Calamari, who you've met along with Antoc Merrick at Scarif, Senator Tynnra Pamlo of Taris, Nower Jebel of Uyter, Davits Draven of Pendarr III and Vasp Vaspar of Charros IV. We welcome you to Yavin IV, the current home of the Rebel Alliance."

Lasky noted each of their faces before speaking up. "Thank you for your time," he said, "I'm Captain Thomas Lasky of the United Nations Space Command. With me are Envoy Melody Azikiwe of the United Earth Government, Jordan MacCallum of the United Earth Government, as well as Blue Team. We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us."

"As do we," Mon Mothma agreed. With the introductions settled, she said, "I must admit, Captain Lasky, it is not every day that we learn of a new faction, especially one that hails from another galaxy. In fact, it is entirely unheard of. Is it true that you, indeed, fought a war that nearly annihilated your kind?"

Lasky nodded. "Yes," he replied. "The war with the Covenant lasted for over twenty seven years, during which we lost hundreds of colonies to the Covenant before we defeated them. Many of them to this day are uninhabitable."

"Uninhabitable?" Vaspar asked. "What do you mean? Surely those planets could be restored. Could they?"

"They can, but it will take hundreds of years," Lasky explained. "The Covenant destroyed the surface of those worlds through a process known as glassing. Jordan can explain it better than I can, but to put it simply, they used high energy glassing beams to turn the surfaces of each world to glass. To this day, they are still heavily irradiated in certain areas, and many of them are experiencing intense nuclear winters. Billions of people were killed even before that happened."

The mood in the entire room quickly turned sober as they realized what this meant. "Are you certain?" Nower asked in disbelief. "Can you show us what a 'glassed' world looks like?"

"Yes," Lasky replied. Pulling out a datapad, he brought up an image of Reach shortly after it was glassed and handed it to Nower. As soon as Nower saw the image, he felt sick to his stomach. Turning pale, he handed the datapad to the others, with Vasp handing it back to Lasky. All of them, even Mon Mothma, looked a little pale after seeing the image.

"By the Force," Vasp whispered. "I've never seen such destruction in my entire life before. An entire world, burned to ashes and turned to glass…" He turned away, nauseated by the sight.

"Just like Taris, thousands of years ago," Tynnra whispered. "What a terrible tragedy. To lose all that you love and know to an enemy that would not listen to reason." Looking at Lasky, she asked, "Is this the kind of threat we are facing, now that the Empire has the Death Star?"

"It would appear so," Lasky agreed.

"Just dreadful," Vasp grumbled. "First the Death Star, now this! I knew I shouldn't have gone against Jyn's plan to assault Scarif. Had she not, we would've been next."

"I agree," Jan Dodonna added. "The brutality the Covenant visited upon the UNSC is just a taste of what the Empire intends to do with us."

"Agreed," Mon Mothma said. Looking at Lasky, she said, "I know you have no reason to help us, Captain Lasky. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you chose not to support us. After all, this isn't your fight; this isn't your war, but if you could aid us in our fight against the Empire's tyranny, then we would be most grateful. If there is anything you want, anything you need, we will do whatever is necessary to help, even if it's just to find a way back to your home galaxy."

Lasky and Melody shared a glance with each other. It was clear that Mon Mothma was trying to win them over, though her honesty in that the Rebel Alliance's fight against the Empire wasn't their own meant that she knew she might not succeed in doing so. Turning to Mon Mothma, he said. "You're right. This isn't my war; hell, this isn't even the same galaxy that we fought a war in. As such, at this current time and juncture, I will have to say no to helping all of you out."

That caused a bit of a stir. "B-But you must!" Vasp stammered. "You've seen what the Death Star is capable of! You've been through a war with an enemy that is even more ruthless than the Empire! You could easily turn the tides of this war and help us bring about peace!"

"I understand that," Lasky said diplomatically, "but there are a number of reasons why I don't wish to help the Rebel Alliance at this time. For one thing, joining the Rebel Alliance would mean that I would have to leave the UNSC, the organization that I serve, first. Doing so is not only a dereliction of duty, it would be treason of the highest order. Is that correct, Melody?"

"That it is," Melody agreed. "Were Lasky to join the Rebel Alliance, he would be court-marshalled and tried for treason and dereliction for duty. The penalty for which is either death, or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole."

Vasp winced as he hard that. "I-I'm sorry…" he stammered. "I… I didn't know that is what would happen. I meant no offense."

"None taken," Melody replied.

Tynnra, who had a thoughtful expression on her face, said, "I thought as much, anyways. It would be too much to ask you to leave your organization. What are the other reasons why you do not wish to help the Rebel Alliance at this time, Lasky?"

"The other is due to what I've heard of the Rebel Alliance," Lasky said. "From what I've heard, the Rebel Alliance, especially High Command, which consists of all of you, is deeply divided at this current time. Not only did you not wish to support Jyn Erso's plan to assault Scarif and retrieve the schematics for the Death Star, you also wanted to scatter the Rebel Alliance. In addition, Jyn herself believed that you were planning on throwing her in prison even after you offered her a chance to go freely. Why? Why imprison her again when you offered her freedom? Is it because of her criminal record?"

"No," Davits replied.

"Then give me a recording of her speech, so that I can confirm if that's the case."

At that, there was an uproar as many of the people in the room began shouting at each other. Surprisingly, it was Nower who quickly go things under control. "ORDER!" he shouted. "WE SHALL HAVE ORDER!" At that, everyone in the room fell silent. Looking at Davits, he asked, "Is this true?"

"Of course not!" Davits protested. "I fully intended to carry out my offer to Jyn. If she got us the information she needed, I would let her go freely. I'm not a backstabbing liar like all of the members of Imperial Intelligence. When I make a promise, I intend to keep it."

"Really?" Lasky asked as he cocked an eyebrow. "From what I heard from Jyn Erso, it sounds like you resent her."

"I resent the fact that I was the guy that was proven wrong, and she was the one proven right," Davits clarified. "I don't resent Jyn personally. I just resent that I was wrong."

"Really?" Lasky asked. "How about you say that to her?" With that, Jyn walked into the room.

There was a mixture of surprise and another emotion that Lasky couldn't identify once Jyn was fully visible to the people in the room. "Jyn," Mon Mothma greeted. "We heard about the battle at Scarif. It's a relief to see that you're alive and well."

"It is," Jyn added. Looking at the others, she said, "Still, the fact that all of you wanted to scatter the Rebellion to the stars has led me to make a decision of my own." Taking a deep breath, she said. "I have decided to join the UNSC. As such, I am leaving the Rebel Alliance for good."

That got some startled muttering going. "Why?" Nower asked. "Why leave the best chance to defeat the Empire? Surely, we can compensate you for your troubles, can we not? Maybe even offer you the position of General for your gallant deeds at Scarif."

"Because none of you would listen to me!" Jyn snarled. "I tried repeatedly to tell you that you had to find the schematics at Scarif in order to destroy the Death Star! Instead, all of you decided to bury your heads in the sand and pretend that everything was going to be just fine! In fact, from what I recall, most of the people in the room here wanted to get the schematics at Scarif, only to be overruled by three people that allowed their fear to get the better of them! I wouldn't even be surprised if I was thrown into prison even after helping you all out! As such, I've decided that I have no future with the Rebel Alliance! I'm leaving, and anyone else that is disgruntled with the Rebellion is more than free to follow me!"

Almost immediately, there was an uproar as dozens of people began shouting accusations and counter-accusations at each other. Davits began to rub his forehead, while Jan Dodonna began working to reestablish order. It's worse than it looks, Lasky noted as he watched all of the arguing that was going on. They really are divided.

At the back of the room, another person was watching the entire debacle. Hera shook her head with disgust as she watched the rest of the Rebels argue with each other. And I thought Ezra and Kannan got into arguments with the rest of the crew, she thought to herself. These guys are worse. At least when I was onboard the Ghost, there was order. Her lekku twitched in irritation, prompting her to move them slightly.

Even Mon Mothma was somewhat dismayed at how quickly the entire meeting had degenerated into a shouting match. Lasky is right, she said to herself. The Rebel Alliance is deeply divided, and part of it is due to my inaction. No time like the present to begin rectifying those errors, I suppose.

It was then that she spoke up, with everyone falling silent as they listened to her. "Gentlemen, what's done is done. Yes, we did not agree with your plan, Jyn Erso, but things turned out well in the end, thanks to the unwilling intervention of Captain Lasky and his ship." Turning to Lasky, she said, "For the record, Jan Dodonna, Bail Organa, Antoc Merrick, Admiral Raddus and myself agreed with Jyn in that we needed to assault the Imperial base on Scarif. What I regret is that none of my fellow colleagues saw it that way, and allowed fear to cloud their minds, thus resulting in them disagreeing with myself and the others."

"A mistake that I deeply regret myself," Vasp added silently, though Lasky and Jyn heard the man's words clearly.

"I see," Lasky noted. "From the sounds of things, it sounds as though your High Command is deeply divided, which is not something that you need at a time like this. In addition, I noticed the lack of an actual government, which is something you need in order to wage a civil war against the Empire. In addition, the lack of an actual government pretty much tells me that the Rebel Alliance is nothing more than a military junta. Why is that?"

"Any attempt to form a legitimate government has been noticed by the Empire invariably," Nower explained. "As such, whenever such governments form, they call it a 'rebellion' and then they attempt to smash it apart. As such, we've had to form an provisional government, though due to the state of things, the military aspect of it is the most dominant."

I see, Lasky noted to himself. From the looks of things, due to the Empire keeping a constant vigil for an insurrection, they've had to go underground to avoid being destroyed. "I see," he said softly. "On top of that, I've noticed a number of problems, especially when it comes to military leadership. When you introduced the others to me, Mon Mothma, I noticed that most of them were Imperial Senators, not Generals. In my experience, assigning a politician to a position they are not suited for is a poor decision. It introduces division into the upper ranks and often leads to wasteful tactics, such as those that were used at Scarif. In addition, you and the other military leaders showed disrespect to Mon Mothma, especially when you needed to attack Scarif. Why?"

Nower looked like he was ready to explode when Mon Mothma raised a hand. As he calmed down, she said, "To be honest, I would not have made those choices either if I could. Unfortunately, our war with the Empire means that I've often had to pick people that I would rather not put into the position." She looked pointedly at Tynnra, Vasp and Nower when she said this.

"A fair point, though the problem still stands. In addition, the fact that High Command is divided and is filled wtih politicians instead of generals tells me that the current leadership is ineffective. I've also noted that all of you don't seem to answer to Mon Mothma. If that is the case, who is the military commander of the Rebel Alliance's military? Does anyone lead it?" The lack of an answer was more than enough to tell Lasky that they didn't have a solid military leader that was in charge.

That was when Mon Mothma did something that shocked everyone. Standing up, she said, "Yes. I agree that it is, and that we do not have a military leader. In fact, I never asked for the position of being the leader of the Rebel Alliance. Instead, I was forced to take up the mantle when the Empire declared me a traitor and forced me to become the leader of the Rebel Alliance. I have done the best that I can, but it is clearly not enough. In addition, no one has tried to lead the military even at this time."

At that, more shouting erupted in the room, though it quickly calmed down when Jan Dodonna spoke up. "I agree," he said, with those words silencing the discord. "While Mon Mothma has done what she can, we need a better leader civilian leader. In addition, we need a military leader that can organize the Rebel Alliance's military."

"My thoughts exactly," Vaspar agreed. "Who among us is qualified to take up the mantle of leadership in a time of war like this?"

"Are you trying to be a democracy or a junta?" Lasky said. "A civilian leader doesn't need military experience to be effective. In addition, none of you seem to have a successor for Mon Mothma should she be killed during a war. In addition, there is nothing resembling a civilian council on various sections that the civlian government would need. Why is it that there is no civilian council? Why is it that the military has the final say in the matter? I even noticed your professionalism, or lack thereof. If anything, in that regard, the Empire, and their Stormtrooper Corps, is significantly more professional."

That caused a lot of people to gasp, though it also made some people turn white with rage. Nower and Vasp were the whitest out of all of them, while Tynnra gasped. "How can you say that?!" She gasped.

"That is my assessment of the situation, as a professional soldier and oficer," Lasky stated firmly. "If you don't like my opinion of the Rebellion's current condition, you can ask someone else. In fact, I know someone else that can give an opinion on the matter." Turning ot Chief, he said, "This is the Master Chief, one of our greatest soldiers in the history of the UNSC, which means that he is also in a good position to give his opinion on the Rebel Alliance. Chief, what do you think?"

Chief was silent for a few seconds as he considered Lasky's assessment. From where he was standing, all of Lasky's reasons to not join the Rebel Alliance were quite sound. "I agree with your assessment, Captain," he said. "The Rebel Alliance, in its current state is divided, weak and poorly organized. Most of this can be traced back to problems in the leadership that the Alliance currently has, along with poorly implemented policies."

"There you go," Lasky said. "It is because of those problems that I have perceived in the Rebel Alliance, combined with standing UNSC policy, that I cannot, in good conscience, chose to support the Rebel Alliance. Not only have we just arrived in this new galaxy, we don't even known who we can trust yet. Until you figure out who is to lead you now, and until I reestablish contact with my superiors in the UNSC, I have to say no to joining. I'm sorry, but it's the only choice that I have."

"I see," Mon Mothma remarked. "I did say that you didn't have to join if you didn't want to."

"Exactly," Lasky said. Looking at the other member of Rebel High Command, he knew that a lot of them were quite angry with him, and it wasn't hard to see why. He had not only pointed out all of the flaws in their organization, he had given them a dressing down that none of them wanted to hear, even though it was absolutely needed. "Now that we've finished discussing that, we can move on to other matters."

"Yes," Mon Mothma agreed. "You said that you needed to reestablish contact with the UNSC. How do you intend to do so, and why do you need us for that?

"We've figured that out already," Lasky informed Mon Mothma. "Jordan, if you please?"

"Yes, sir," Jordan replied. Clearing his throat, he said, "I plan on using a pair of probes to piggyback a message back to our home galaxy. To do that, though, I need to acquire a Hyperdrive from you guys. It doesn't have to work, but I would prefer that it does. After that, we'll basically send that hyperdrive on its way once we get past the hyperspace anomaly surrounding the entire galaxy, and then all we can do is wait."

Mon Mothma smiled. "That we can arrange for you. Davits?"

"Yes?" Davits asked.

"Would you find someone that can help Jordan find a working Hyperdrive? They are a very common component for our ships." What Mon Mothma didn't add, though, was that doing so would be a good step towards establishing a relationship with the UNSC.

Davits, realizing what Mon Mothma was getting at, said, "Yes, ma'am. I'll see to it immediately. If you could follow me, Jordan?"

"Certainly," Jordan replied.

"Before you go," Lasky added, "I would like to point something out. We'll need to gain access to your HoloCommunications technology. The Infinity doesn't have that'"

"That should be easy to fix," Mon Mothma mused. "We can send an expert to your ship that can help with the communications problems. Once those are rectified, you will be able to communicate with the rest of us without any problems. Davits, can you handle that as well?"

"Certainly," Davits agreed. With that, he and Davits left the room, along with the escort of Marines that went with Jordan.

"Now that we've solved that problem, there's the problem concerning supplies," Lasky said. "While we're equipped for long voyages, one of the supplies that we don't have a fully reliable supply of is foodstuffs and the like. We'll also need to find a suitable source of water as well. Finally, we will need medical supplies, especially this 'bacta' that you guys use."

"That is also easy to fix," Mon Mothma reassured him. "Foodstuffs and water are supplies that are in abundant supply in the entire galaxy, and we can provide some medical supplies. You must be careful, though, when dealing with the Imperials, especially given recent events. Their merchants have also been known to be… dishonest, to put it politely."

"I see…" Lasky noted. "Perhaps we -"

At that moment, a Rebel Trooper came into the room. "Ma'am," he said to Mon Mothma. "We've got a situation. Leia Organa needs to speak with you and with Captain Lasky."

"Understood," Mon Mothma noted. "Shall we continue another time?"

"Certainly," Lasky replied. "Let's find out what's going on first, though." Getting up, he quickly began to follow Mon Mothma as she proceeded towards another part of the base. As they followed Mon Mothma, Lasky turned to Melody and said, "Well, that could've gone better."

"Quite," Melody agreed. "You could have been a bit more diplomatic about all of that. To be honest, though, I fully approve of what you did. They were trying to patronize you into joining their flawed organization and you stomped on them. In my opinion, they deserved it."

"Very much so," Lasky said as they continued to move along. Noticing Admiral Raddus looking at him, he said, "I take it you didn't like what you heard."

"I didn't," Raddus agreed, "but to be honest, we all needed to hear that. You called us out on the carpet there, Lasky, and I thank you for it. I don't care what the others think. You are still a good man in my book, and that won't be changing anytime soon."

"Good to hear that someone's got some sense," Lasky noted.

"Indeed," Raddus agreed. "Now let's move along. I'm quite keen on finding out what Leia's message to us is."

. . .

While all of this was going on, Bail Organa was at Coruscant in a private meeting with some of the other Imperial Senators that had seen the footage that had been shared with everyone in the Senate. In fact, that footage was the topic of discussion today, and it was clear that all of them had been shaken by what they had seen. Even I have a hard time believing it, Bail had noted quietly.

One of the ambassadors, a woman with blond hair and bright green eyes, said, "I still can't believe that the Covenant would be so vile. Everywhere I look, I see many friendly alien species that we all work with day in, day out. I just can't understand why the Covenant would do what it did."

"Greed," another Senator noted. "It is one of the many causes of war. In addition, I was watching some of that footage quite closely. Didn't you see how they seemed to cite religious reasons? That would mean that, to the Covenant, it was a kind of holy war to them. Such misunderstandings continue to cause trouble even to this day, so it's not surprising to me that the Covenant would attempt to wipe out the UNSC simply for intruding upon their beliefs."

"Yeah, I know, but I just can't reconcile with it."

"And you never should," Bail added. "I understand why the Covenant did what they did, but that does not justify their attempt to wipe out another species simply for religious reasons alone. If anything, their attempt to do so shows just how morally decadent and corrupt they really were." Including the Empire, he said deep down to himself.

Getting up from his seat, he decided to get himself a little fresh air. Walking to the balcony of the apartment they were in, he looked out towards the planetwide city that was Coruscant. Towering spires of metal, composites and other materials dominated the skyline, while immense factories belched out inordinate quantities of oxygen, while sucking in and breaking down pollutants and the like. Long lines of repulsorlift vehicles flew through the air, while starships of varying size and shape ascended to space or descended to land

There was one particular structure that drew Bail's eye, though for a more personal and tragic reason. The structure in question was a tall and imposing one, with sharp, geometric edges, as well as guard towers that surrounded it. Banners that had the symbol of the Empire woven into them hung from parapets and other parts of the building, while Stormtroopers and Deathtroopers alike patrolled the area near it.

A tear brimmed in Bail's eye as he remembered the structure that building once was. Closing his eyes, he let the tear fall, even as the memories of that horrible day came to his mind. I wish I had been able to save that little boy, he thought to himself. Why didn't I do so? Why didn't I risk life and limb to save him when I had the chance? How could we have allowed this wonderful Republic to turn into the decadent Empire that it is now? He sniffled slightly before wiping the tear off his cheek, letting the breath that had been in his lungs seep out.

He would have continued standing there, were it not for someone resting a hand on his shoulder. "Bail?" the woman from earlier asked him. "Bail? Are you all right?"

Pulling himself out of the stream of horrible memories, he nodded. "I'm all right," he reassured her. "Just old memories and wounds. That's all. Why do you ask?"

"We've received a holo-transmission for you only," the woman replied. "Apparently, the Emperor wishes to speak with you."

A cold terror rushed through Bail's gut as soon as he heard those words. Have I been found out, he wondered. Has the Emperor discerned my true motives? Then he mentally shook the thoughts away. Get a grip on yourself, Bail. Stop fantasizing and treat with reality. "He does?" he asked. When the woman nodded, he said, "I see… If that is what he wants, then who am I to deny him? I'll take it right now. I would like the room to myself."

"Of course," the woman replied, with her and the other Senators quickly leaving. Once they had all left, Bail activated the holo-communications transceiver that was in the room. A moment later, a life-size image of the Emperor himself appeared.

Steeling himself for the worst, he asked, "What is it, my Emperor?"

"Senator Organa," the Emperor said to him. "I would like speak to you."

So he's been trying to talk with me all this time, he noted. I see. Let's keep calm. This might be nothing serious. "I was unaware that you were," Bail said diplomatically. "What would you like to speak about?"

"The very event that shook the entire galaxy two days ago," the Emperor said. "I have been thinking for some time over what happened, especially after that speech that your daughter, Leia, gave to the Senate not two days ago. With this in mind, I would like to speak with Leia, or at least grant me the means to contact her."

Another cold rush of terror swept through Bail's gut, though he controlled it with an ironclad will. Keeping his expression neutral, he said, "I haven't spoken recently with her, though I was planning on doing so this evening. I will send you her contact info and I will inform her that she is to be expecting a call from you."

"Good," the Emperor smiled, a cold, predatory smile that made Bail's skin crawl. "You will be well rewarded for this, Senator. Good day." With that, his holographic image faded out of existence.

As soon as the Emperor's image had faded away, Bail let out a shiver that he had been feeling. I should have expected something like this, he said to himself. It's only natural that the Emperor would want to speak with Leia and invite her to Coruscant. The one thing that scared him the most, though, was that this would bring Leia in close proximity to the person that was her father, her real father. Still, he knew his duty and, even though it was unpleasant, he would carry it out, no matter what happened. Steeling himself, he quickly sent Palpatine the contact information for Leia, then strode out of the commons area towards the turbolift. He needed to speak to Leia immediately.

. . .

Onboard the Tantive IV, Leia was calmly walking around, even as the crew went about their duties. There had been an underlying tension in the crew during the Battle of Scarif, and that tension had reached a fever pitch when they were onboard the Infinity. Now that they had left the Infinity, everyone was visibly relaxed, and it clearly showed, as she could hear conversations and even some laughter.

Rounding a corner, she quickly found Captain Antilles, who was looking at the Hyperdrive. Hearing her footsteps, he turned, then smiled at her before looking at the Hyperdrive. "I still can't stop thinking about that day."

"About Slightly Too Heavy?" Leia inquired.

"Yes," Antilles said. "If we had one of those onboard the ship at all times, all of our engineering woes would vanish like dust in the wind." Turning to her, he said, "The hyperdrive's been humming like an Alderaanian hummingbird ever since Slightly Too Heavy fixed and then upgraded the thing. Now it works even better than it did when we last did maintenance on it. I swear, those 'Huragok' are nothing short of miracle workers of engineers."

"That they seem to be," Leia agreed. "What else did Slightly Too Heavy work on? Simplify it for me. Make it seem as though I'm as dumb as I think I am at times."

"Well," Antilles said as he scratched the back of his head, "I received an official report from our engineers. Slightly Too Heavy did some work on our holo-communications suite. It's getting better reception and the signals it gets are stronger than before. In addition, the life support's working better and the deflector shields are stronger than before as well. It couldn't upgrade all of the ship systems, but the ones it did work on are working better than even their designers intended, I'd imagine."

"Yes," Leia agreed. "I'd imagine that as well." The two would remained here for some time were it not for a Rebel Trooper approaching them. "What is it?" she asked.

"Ma'am, you're needed in the holocom room," the Trooper informed her. "We've got an incoming transmission from Bail Organa."

"I see," Leia noted. Looking at Antilles, she said, "We'll speak some more later. I have business to tend to."

"Of course," Antilles said. "I'll be available when you need me." With that, Leia made her way to the holocommunication suite, while Antilles remained at the Hyperdrive Systems room for a while, before leaving as well…

Up in the formal state conference chamber, Leia quickly walked inside, smoothing down her dress while activating the HoloCom transceiver that would allow her to communicate with Bail, even though he was thousands of light years away. Once his hologram shimmered into existence, she said, "Bail, is something wrong?"

"I received a message from the Emperor," Bail explained to her. "Apparently, he wishes to speak to you."

Leia felt a shiver travel down his spine. The fact that the Emperor wanted to speak to her was bad news, especially since she had given that speech that had alerted the entire Empire to the existence of the UNSC. Still, true to her profession, she would remain calm and tranquil. Taking a breath, she asked, "What about?"

"Your speech to the Imperial Senate, as well as what happened not two days ago," Bail explained. "Apparently, your speech has caught his eye, and he wants to speak with you as a result. You will be receiving a message from him shortly. I would advise that you be careful, though. Who knows what he might say or do?"

"Wise words," Leia said. "Inform him that I'm will connect him immediately. Whatever he wants to say, I'll hear it, even if I don't like it."

"Very well," Bail said. "I'll inform him immediately. Be careful, Leia."

"I will," Leia replied. As the hologram of Bail faded out, she took a deep breath, then added another. Once he speaks, give no indication as to where you are, she said to herself. Be a good little Imperial Senator and give him most of what he wants. With that, she looked back up at the holo-communicator and waited for the Emperor to contact her.

She didn't have to wait long. Within seconds, the Emperor's hologram appeared in the room. Almost immediately, Leia felt a chill going down her spine, as though she was looking at a very evil man which, if the stories that Bail told her were correct, was a very appropriate response. "My Emperor," she said, though she had no such love for him. "What is it that you require of me?"

"Senator Leia Organa," the Emperor said to her. "I watched the speech that you gave two days ago in the Imperial Senate. I must admit, when I learned that there were human beings from another galaxy that had arrived her unintentionally, I had my doubts. Now that I've thought over your speech, I would like to make a request of you."

Of course he would, Leia snorted to herself. He's the Emperor, after all. Outwardly, she remained calm and asked, "What request would that be, my Emperor?"

"It is quite simple," the Emperor said to her. "I would like to invite you to a diplomatic function that I will be holding at the Imperial Palace when you arrive. Your expert handling of the situation is something that should be highly rewarded. You not only revealed the truth about what happened at Scarif, you also defused a war that would have plunged the Empire into another conflict like the Clone Wars, if the Star Dreadnought exists as you say it does.

"As such, when you come to the Imperial Palace, I would like to invite the captain of the Star Dreadnought, Thomas Lasky, and his ship to Coruscant as well. I would like to speak with the man that ended up in our galaxy when his means of faster than light travel malfunctioned. I also intend to do this as the Imperial Navy is becoming quite... cagey. If this is allowed to go on, the Imperial Navy will strike at the Infinity, regardless of whether Lasky wishes for peace or not. Bringing him here to attend this function will not only allay those fears, it will also allow us to prevent the outbreak of another war, one that we do not need."

As if the galaxy wasn't stepped in enough terror than it already is, Leia thought. It was now clear to her why the Emperor wanted to speak with her: he wanted to congratulate her on stopping a potential war, while also easing the fears of anyone that felt the UNSC had come to pillage and conquer. "I see," she said, steeling herself for what she would say next. "I would be most grateful to attend this diplomatic function. However, I will be unable to invite Lasky to this diplomatic function. I lack the authority to do so, as only an Ambassador of the Empire can do this, and I am not in that position."

"Do not worry yourself with such trivial matters," the Emperor said to her. "As of now, I have decided to grant you the provisional authority to do so for the Empire. Do this for me, and you will be most handsomely rewarded."

With that in mind, Leia quickly considered what to do. It was clear to her that the only way to stave off a war, and to protect Lasky, was to accede to the Emperor's request. Taking a breath, she said, If that is the case, then I would be most grateful to extend your invitation to Lasky as well."

"Good, good," the Emperor said with a cold, predatory smile. "That is most excellent of you. Inform me if he accepts the invitation or not. If he does, then I will make all of the arrangements. Good day to you." With that, his holographic image faded out.

Leia shivered. This is bad news, she said to herself. I'll have to tell Lasky, but I'll have to warn him about his more… sadistic tendencies. With that, she opened another HoloCom channel and said, "Mon Mothma, are you there? If you can hear me, we need to speak urgently."

. . .

While this was going on, Jordan and the Marines that were assigned to him quickly followed Davits through the base, moving past large groups of people that were going to and fro about their daily business. "I know you guys have your form of FTL flight, and then there's the hyperdrive, but why do you need that?" Davits asked. "It sounds like your drives would do just fine."

Jordan kept his expression neutral. Unlike Davits, who had assumed that the hyperdrive and slipspace drive were all equal in terms of speed, Jordan knew that the Slipspace Drives for probes were not as fast as those on ships. He could, however, tell Davits some information that wasn't classified. "They're highly expensive," he said to Davits. "A standard Sliptream Space Drive costs millions, if not billions, of credits to manufacture. The loss of one of those drives would be incredibly costly."

Davits whistled. "Damn… No wonder you're wanting a hyperdrive. They're far less expensive here, so if you break one, you just get a new one and then you're good. I can understand that kind of thinking. Still, this is a lot of trouble to come to us for such a common component for starships."

"True, though we can't exactly go to the Empire and say, 'Hey, can we borrow one of your hyperdrives? We want to phone home.' We did, after all, shoot at them during the skirmish at Scarif, and I'm betting that they'll be less than keen to help us out, especially after we split one of their Star Destroyers like it was a block of wood."

"Fair enough," Davits admitted with a shrug. They continued to maneuver through the base, before coming to one of the larger hangars. Everywhere Jordan looked, he could see technicians working on vehicles, as well as a myriad number of pipes, hoses, cables, components and the like. Already, he could hear the engineer inside of him going squee at all of the potential pieces of technology that he could recover for the UNSC. There were even a few droids, and those, he knew, were a goldmine of information and technology that could be useful.

Davits continued to lead them through the engineering bay, until he came to a group of technicians that were working on what Jordan recognized was a Hyperdrive. "Here we are," Davits informed him. "These men and women here are the people responsible for keeping our hyperdrives in good condition." Turning to the technicians, she asked, "Is Jenar here?"

As soon as he asked the question, a woman walked out from behind the Hyperdrive that was being worked on. The woman in question was tall, though she was just an inch shorter than Jordan was. A shock of dirty blond hair was on her head, which complimented a pair of dark green eyes that glanced around. Those eyes fixated on Jordan and Davits, as well as the Marines that had followed the two. "I'm here," she said in a scratchy, but lower pitched than expected, voice. "What do you need?"

"We've got someone that needs a Hyperdrive," Davits explained. Pointing at Jordan, he said, "Jenar, this is Jordan MacCallum, one of the engineers that came with the Star Dreadnought. Jordan, this is Jenar Goneza. Don't let her age of twenty three years fool you; she knows more about Hyperdrives than you or I will ever know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find a HoloCommunications technician, as well as some examples of the technology for you to work with." Davits promptly left, leaving Jordan and Jenar to themselves.

"Pleased to meet you, Jenar," Jordan said with a smile, extending a hand.

"Likewise," Jenar replied. "I'd shake, but I get the feeling that you don't want to get grease and other fluids all over your pretty suit. No offense intended."

"None taken," Jordan replied. "I often get dirty myself, especially when I'm working on a five kilometer beast of a ship."

"You're from the Star Dreadnought?" Jenar asked. When Jordan nodded, she cocked her head to the right and said. "Damn… You UNSC guys don't build small, don't you? Ah, well… suits me. About time I met you. How fast is that drive of yours?"

"I'm afraid that I cannot tell you that," Jordan remarked. "If I did, I'd have to blow your head clean off, which I'd rather not do, especially to a pretty lady like you."

"Fair enough," Jenar said with a shrug. "It's no skin off my nose. So, you're wanting to get a Hyperdrive, eh? What for?"

Jordan frowned slightly. As much as he wanted to tell a fellow engineer whatever she wanted to know, he knew that doing so was a one way ticket to the firing squad. Shrugging, he said, "Just for research and my own personal curiosity. Hyperdrives are fascinating to me, and I would like to learn how they work."

"Just about anyone with a brain could tell you," Jenar said with a smirk. "Still, who am I to question the motivations of a human being from another galaxy. I just work on hyperdrives for a living. Still, if it's a working hyperdrive you want…" She looked at the one her team had just finished fixing up. "I bet I can give you this one. We got this one from an old Carrack cruiser that we cannibalized for spare parts The hyperdrive was busted, but we just fixed up the broken components, so she'll be working like a beauty. You'll need some non-spin-sealed Tibanna to keep it cool, though, but we've got plenty of that on hand, so donating a few canisters of that won't be a problem. Beyond that, you'll need a few droids and some technicians to hook it up, if that's what you're planning to do that is."

"It is," Jordan agreed. Just not in the way you think, he added to himself.

"All right," Jenar decided. "You can have this one, then." Looking at her team, she said, "Get a few repulsorlift forklifts and get this baby loaded up. All you gotta do is follow Jordan and take it wherever he wants you to." Looking at Jordan, she said, "Personally, though, I've been kinda dissatisfied with how the Rebel Alliance has been handling things recently. Think there might be a spot open for me?"

"It depends," Jordan added. "Captain Lasky is the CO of the ship. I don't have the authority to make that kind of a decision. Only he does, and even if you do get to come aboard, you have to go through a series of security checks before you become a full working member of the ship."

"I can handle that," Jenar remarked. "My team and I aren't the only one that fixes up hyperdrives around here. We fix up all kinds of poodoo 'round here, and some of us have been getting disgruntled with the Rebel Alliance. In fact, we were going to hand in our resignation today and since you guys came along, well…" She left the last part unsaid.

Jordan nodded at the implication. "I see," he said quietly. "I'll talk with Captain Lasky about it. If he says yes to you joining after you go through a security interview, then all I have to say is welcome aboard the Infinity. If not… well, at least you tried."

"At least," Jenar said with a shrug. "Either way, if I don't get to come aboard, it's no skin off my nose. I typically work as a freelance hyperdrive mechanic anyways. I love going to new places and seeing new people, so if I come aboard, it's a dream come true. Now, let's get your brand new hyperdrive loaded onto your ship and outta here. I'm betting you're getting mighty impatient."

"Not really, but I get what you mean," Jordan remarked as he followed her towards one of the forklifts. An engineer that knows her way around hyperdrives and is nice, he noted. I guess the universe surprises you every day.

At that moment, one of the Marines keyed his COM-piece. After a few seconds, he said, "Jordan, Captain Lasky wants you to return with the Hyperdrive to the Pelican immediately. Something's come up and he wants you onboard as soon as possible."

"Got it," Jordan replied. "I'll be back aboard the ship as soon as possible." As he directed the other technicians, who now had the hyperdrive, he began scratching the back of his head.

As they rounded a corner, Davits came towards them with another repulsorlift equipped forklift, as well as a tall man with dark skin and brown eyes. "Ah, there you are," Davits said. "This, Jordan, is Kentor Fennak. He's the HoloCom expert that will be coming aboard your ship."

"Pleased to meet you," Jordan said to Kentor as he extended a hand.

"Likewise," Kentor said in a deep, rumbling voice as he shook the offered hand. "I heard about your ship, though I'm surprised that you do not make use of HoloCommunications. From the sounds of it, you are eager to get that installed, yes?"

"Oh, definitely," Jordan agreed. "My specialty, though, is FTL flight, not communications. I've got another technician that can help you there."

"Good," Kentor said.

"Good to see that everyone's getting along," Davits noted. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to tend to. Good day." Turning around, he quickly headed back into the interior of the base.

"He's like that," Kentor told Jordan. "Don't mind him. He's a really busy man."

"I've noticed," Jordan added as they proceeded outside.

It was when he exited the pyramidal structure that he got a surprise of his own. Apparently, Jyn and Jenar weren't the only ones that wanted to leave the Rebel Alliance. On the landing pads, there were dozens of people, all of whom were clustered a safe distance away from the Pelican. A few people were even talking to the Marines. "Looks like Jenar and Jyny aren't the only ones that want to leave the Rebel Alliance," one of his escorts noted.

"Looks like it," Jordan mused. "Still, it's the Captain's decision. Let him know about this, so that he isn't caught off guard. I've got a funny feeling about this." While the Marine was talking, Jordan worked on getting the hyperdrive loaded. Turning around, he bumped into someone that was behind him, nearly falling to the ground, while the individual in question only stepped back a foot. "Sorry about that," Jordan said apologetically as he got back up.

Looking up, he found that he was looking at a woman with tan skin, brown eyes and hair that was black, though it was also dyed purple and orange. "Hi there," he said. "Sorry about bumping into you."

"That's all right," the woman said in a cheery tone. "I was just, in fact, taking a look at the people that I would really like to work with." She was silent for a moment, then, "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot my manners." Extending a hand, she said, "Sabine Wren."

Jordan promptly shook that hand. "Jordan MacCallum. So you're here to join up with the UNSC?"

"Yep," Sabine said. "I've been hearing a lot about you guys, especially on the HoloNet. Is it true that you really fight against an enemy that nearly destroyed you all?"

"Yep," Jordan said diplomatically. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I respect people like that." Looking around, she asked, Mind if we talk near the front of this shuttle?" Jordan nodded, with the Marine escort following the two to the front. As soon as they arrived, she said, "Part of the reason why I respect such people is because of my heritage."

"And that would be?" Jordan asked.

"I'm a Mandalorian."

Jordan cocked an eyebrow. "I've never heard of Mandalorians before. Are you guys some kind of warrior culture or something like that?"

"That's correct," Sabine replied. "We Mandalorians are warriors to the core. Our way of life revolves around war and honor, with many of us being great warriors, though nowadays most are bounty hunters. Thousands of years ago, we were also conquerors, though those days have long since come and gone."

"So you're like the Sangheili," Jordan observed.

"Sangheili?" Sabine asked.

"They're an alien race that we fought during the Covenant-UNSC War, though they're our allies now, most of them anyways," Jordan explained. "They're a warrior society that takes pride in honor and glory, something that, I think, you guys have in common with them."

"Sounds like it," Sabine noted, "though the fact that they killed innocents stains their honor. I take it that they rebelled to regain that honor?"

"Yes."

"Then I would really like to meet them," Sabine said. "In addition, the Empire has done a lot to earn the Mandalorian's wrath, especially after they tricked our leaders and tried to kill any Mandalorians that resisted them. I want to join in order to punish the Empire for its crimes, and to show the galaxy that Mandalorians are not all devoid of honor. In addition, I also want to join out of respect for the UNSC. your people fought for the innocent. Such is The Way, with The Way being our code of honor. Plus, I want to ask Lasky for help with something."

"That something being?"

"It's personal," Sabine explained. "I'd rather tell him about it first."

"I see," Jordan noted. "Ultimately, the decision lies with Captain Lasky as to who he recruits for the ship. However, I think he would appreciate having someone like you on his ship. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few things to bring back to the ship. Hopefully, we'll see you aboard the ship."

"You too," Sabine said with a nod as they moved towards the loading ramp of the Pelican.

. . .

What Jordan didn't know was that, just minutes earlier, Lasky and Mon Mothma had walked into the HoloCommunications room that had been set up inside of the Rebel Alliance's HQ. Entering the room, he watched as another Rebel Trooper came to them and said, "Sirs, Leia wishes to speak with you and Captain Lasky. Something's come up, but she wouldn't say what it was. Still, I can say that it's important."

"That it is," Mon Mothma agreed. "Open a call with her. Let's see what she needs us for." With that, the technicians in the room complied, with all of them flipping switches and pressing buttons.

A moment later, a holographic image of Leia appeared in the room. "Mon Mothma, if you are there, I need to speak with you immediately," she said. "Are you there?"

"Yes," Mon Mothma replied. "What is it, Leia?"

"I was just contacted by the Emperor," Leia said. "Apparently, my speech in the Imperial Senate caught his attention, and he decided to invite me to a diplomatic function at Coruscant. Apparently, the Emperor wants to welcome Lasky and the Infinity to the galaxy."

"I take it that's not all, is there?" Mon Mothma asked.

"That's right. Apparently, the Imperial Military's getting worried. They think that the UNSC wishes to wage war against them, despite my speech saying otherwise. As such, the Emperor also wants me to tell Lasky that he's also been invited as well, along with the Infinity."

When she said that, the entire room seemed to become colder in an instant. "I see," Mon Mothma said. "This is grave news, though this might also work out in our favor if we play this right. The presence of another faction, one that survived a devastating war, will cause the Empire to pause and think about its actions." Looking at Lasky, she asked, "Do you think you can handle this, Lasky?"

Lasky pursed his lips and paced around. It was clear that, with this maneuver, that the Emperor was trying to allay the fears that some of the Imperial Navy's brass was cooking up, while making the rest of the Empire appear reasonable and sane. He could also be trying to gather intelligence on the UNSC, the analytical part of Lasky's mind noted. That would allow him to determine if the UNSC is ripe for the taking or not.

Melody, who was also watching, said, "We'll have to likely accept, Lasky. If we don't, he'll perceive that as a diplomatic insult to him. That is one of the potential casus belli that he can use if he doesn't like the UNSC. By accepting the invitation, we not only gain some breathing room, we can gain enough time to get a message home to the UNSC and tell them what's going on."

"My thoughts exactly," Lasky said. "Leia, inform the Emperor that I accept his invitation. Who knows? This might give us information that we need."

"All right," Leia said. "I'll inform him that you've accepted." There was a few seconds of silence, then she said, "I just informed the Emperor of your acceptance of his invitation. He's very pleased to hear that you will be coming to Coruscant. Just be careful, Lasky. Even a small insult is enough to make him angry. In addition to that, he has some sadistic tendencies that you'd do well to be aware of. Take care, now."

"You too," Lasky replied. Turning to Mon Mothma as Leia's hologram faded out, he said, "I'll have to return to my ship. We've got some battle damage to repair, as well as a diplomatic function to prepare for."

"Of course," Mon Mothma replied. "It was good speaking with you. Perhaps even the Rebel Alliance will benefit from this. May you have a safe journey."

"The same to you too," Lasky replied as he left the room, while keying his COM earpiece. "Have Jordan return to the Infinity with his hyperdrive immediately if he already has it. If not, expedite the process." Closing the COM-channel, he began walking outside. Once he got outside, he found Jordan and the others standing near the Pelican, along with the large number of people that were present. "Jordan?" he asked. "What's with all of the people here?"

"All of these people want to leave the Rebel Alliance," Jordan explained. "From the looks of it, there's quite a few dissatisfied people here. All of them have formally left the Rebel Alliance and want to join with us. I know because I've talked with them."

"I see," Lasky noted. "I'll have Sarpong create a series of rooms where we can interview these people, and we'll send Pelicans to pick these people up. In addition, Cortana will hack into the HoloNet and find out if the recruits are good or not. Shouldn't take us too long. Either way, it's time to return to the ship."

"Sounds good to me," Jordan remarked as he, Lasky, and there rest of the Marines boarded the ship.

. . .

Back onboard the Infinity, Halsey was hard at work examining the schematics for the Death Star. A mug of coffee was in her hands as she carefully looked over the schematics with a keen eye. A very interesting design, she noted to herself. A planet destroying station that is smaller than High Charity itself. Someone certainly knew their engineering work.

That drew her attention towards the other person that was in the room. Orson Krennic was currently working at one of the work stations, while pair of ODSTs kept watch over everything that he was doing. Halsey personally disliked Krennic, especially after reading the mandatory psyche evaluation that had been done on him. The man is callous, narcissistic and rude, she grumbled inwardly. However, he is also highly intelligent, and so far, he has done nothing to warrant being shot in the head. As Krennic worked silently, she asked, "Roland, can you bring up a schematic of the Death Star's reactor?"

"Sure," Roland replied, before pulling up a schematic of the reactor itself. "I've gotta admit, it's an impressive piece of power generation technology. It uses what's known as a 'Hypermatter Annihilation Reactor.'"

"Indeed," Halsey noted. "They are quite powerful. However, as far as my raeding tells me, they are quite.. inefficient. they burn off a considerable amount of fuel to generate the required amount of power, whereas a nuclear fusion reactor would be more efficient at a given size. Part of me wonders if it's possible to refit the Infinity's reactors to use Hypermatter."

"It could be," Roland admitted. "However, we would need a working Hypermatter Annihilation Reactor to work off of in order to make the necessary changes. That would mean powering down the reactors until the changes are made, and we can only do that at a shipyard."

"Very true," Halsey agreed. "Consider that a potential refit option for the Infintiy." Looking at Krennic, she asked, "I don't suppose you have any news for me, Krennic?"

Krennic shook his head. "Not yet," he replied. "I will soon, though. I'm going through the schematic just as you are. It's like hunting through a maze for a single flaw."

"I understand," Halsey said, though there was little reassurance in her voice. "Do keep yourself useful. I'd hate for a nasty incident to happen to you."

Krennic shuddered slightly. Halsey was the only person aboard the Infinity, aside from the Spartans, that was capable of intimidating him. When he'd entered the lab, she had quickly made sure that he knew that she, not him, was in charge, and that any attempt to cause problems would be swiftly, and harshly dealt with. "O-of course," he said a moment later.

"Good." With that, Halsey turned back to her work, determined to carry out Lasky's request.