Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo/Star Wars crossover redux.
Thank you all for your wonderful patience and support! I deeply appreciate it!
Just as a reminder, don't forget to read Star Wars: Tales of the Infinity's Odyssey in order to get the full picture of what's going on in the story. While it's not mandatory for you to do so, it is essential if you want to see how the plot progressed between the chapters in the main story.
As always, leave a review, but most importantly, 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, Lucasfilms, 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 own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to its original composers and/or artists.
UNSC Euclid's Hammer
Epsilon Indi
June 6th, 0BBY, 0800 Hrs (December 20th, 2558, 0800 Hrs)
Onboard the Autumn-class Heavy Cruiser Euclid's Hammer, Vice Admiral Reaves was keeping a watch over the Epsilon Indi system. The Vice Admiral's eyes were focused on the readout that showed him what the FTL COMs were picking up, along with the hyperscanner that was installed into the ship. Nearby, the other officers on the bridge worked silently at their stations.
Ever since the first probe had been picked up more than a month ago, the UNSC had decided that it was a prudent measure to have a warship stationed at Epsilon Indi in case another probe was launched. Due to his past association with Captain Lasky, as well as the fact that he was in the general area, Reaves had been assigned to patrolling Harvest in order to make certain that, if anymore probes arrived, the UNSC would know of it. It's been a while ever since, Reaves thought, but I'm certain that another probe is going to arrive.
He was about to converse with Daedalus, the ship's AI, when his COM Officer said, "Sir! I've picked up a distress signal in this system! It has the Infinity's identification codes!"
"Daedalus?" Reaves asked.
"Confirmed," Daedalus replied. "Distress signal ident number is consistent with that of the Infinity."
"All right," Reaves said. "That settles it. Helm, initiate intra-system jump and get us to the probe ASAP!"
"Aye, sir!" came the reply.
Ahead of the ship, a portal into Slipspace opened up, with the ship quickly sliding inside. Within a few seconds, the ship exited Slipspace again. Checking his readout screens again, Reaves noted that they were just a measly kilometer from the signal source. "Daedalus, access the probe's onboard log buoy and see what you can find. Inform me if you find anything odd inside of the log buoy's contents."
"Yes, sir," Daedalus said. Within moments, the AI had accessed the log buoy and all of its contents. "Sir, I've identified a report that is classified at a higher level than the rest of the documents, which can be accessed with your clearance level. The document in question is classified as being for the UEG President and HIGHCOM's eyes only."
That had Reaves attention. It must be serious if one of the reports has been classified to that level, he thought. "I see," he said. "Send all of the reports in there to the UEG President and the Joint Chiefs immediately."
"Aye, sir," Daedalus said. "Message packaged and sent."
"Sir!" the COM Officer said. "HIGHCOM wants us to return to Earth immediately!"
"Understood," Reaves said. "Helm, plot a course to Earth immediately."
"Aye sir," the Navigation Officer said. "Course plotted. We will arrive within two hours."
"Very good."
. . .
A few hours later, Admiral Hood and the other members of the UNSC Security Council were inside of an armored limousine, with several UNSC Warthogs providing security as they drove down the busy streets of Sydney. Looking at the other members of the Security Council, he could see uncertainty written in their faces, a look that matched the uncertainty that was starting to roil inside of his own mind. I've got no idea why the UEG President requested a meeting with us, but I'll bet that it has something to do with the contents of the latest probe that was recovered, he thought.
It wasn't just him that was uncertain as to what as going on. Nearby, Osman was talking with Admiral Musa Ghanem, the Commander-in-Chief of the Spartan Operations Branch, while Strauss and Dellert were also in a quiet conversation. Keeping his attention focused on the former of the four people, Hood could tell that Osman was wondering what was going on. How ironic, he thought, that the one person in charge of making sure the people responsible for gathering intelligence is stymied as to what is going on herself.
Then there was the other person that was in the limousine with them. Fleet Admiral Harper was sitting between Hogan and Strauss, though he seemed more relaxed than the others. Charet had also requested that he come, which made sense, as the meeting had a direct effect on his upcoming mission to the Andromeda Galaxy.
To take his mind off of the matter, he looked outside at the city of Sydney itself. When Earth was invaded by the Covenant, Sydney was one of the cities that was severely damaged, along with cities like New Mombasa, New Chicago and the like. When the war ended, the city underwent major reconstruction, with numerous buildings being demolished while others were repaired. Even to this day rebuilding efforts were ongoing, as Hood spotted buildings that were still being repaired, while new ones were being constructed for buildings that were demolished.
Looking outside of the window, Hogan said, "Beautiful city, ain't she?" he asked.
"Yeah. Sydney is a beautiful place, despite everything that's happened since," Hood said. "Imagine my surprise when I was told that I would be staying here for the most part."
"Same here," Hogan said. "I first came here with my family to attend one of the opera's going on at the Sydney Opera House. Over five hundred years since it was built, and it's still one of the prettiest structures in the city. Certainly gives a few other cities a run for their money."
"That it does."
Strauss, who was shaking his leg up and down, said, "I much prefer Washington DC myself. There's a lot of history there, especially since America was the first successful democracy since the medieval ages. Small wonder that the UEG is based on that old government."
Small wonder indeed, Hood thought to himself. What's even more fortunate is that Ruth Charet has done an excellent job of getting the UEG back onto its feet, even with some of the things that have been going on. For the rest of the journey, everyone was silent.
Eventually, the limousine came into the Government District of the city. Here, the civilian high rises and industrial centers were replaced with neo-classical architecture, the same style of architecture in the city that Hogan had mentioned. Parthenon-like structures and monuments were located here and there, as well as large fields of carefully manicured grass. Marble statues of prominent figures in history were present, as well as other monuments to the government that had inspired the creation of the UEG.
Eventually, they came to a stop at what Hood recognized was the UEG Presidential Suite, a building that was built to be as close of a replica to the White House in Washington DC as possible. A chalet opened the door for them, allowing everyone to quickly step out. Moments later, two men dressed in black suits with COM units in their ears approached them. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you could follow us please," they said.
"Certainly," Hood said, with the others giving their consent as well. Both suited men turned on their heels and began to walk towards the Presidential Suite. Once inside, they went towards a series of stairs, each one having armored doors that slid into the walls once retina scans, keypad codes and finger print scans were conducted, along with a voice recognition check. When each door slid open, they revealed a series of stairs that went down below ground level.
Hood frowned when he saw this. Looks like we're heading to the Situation Room, he thought as he and the other members of the UNSC Security Council quickly moved through the door and into the stairwell, with Musa following as quickly as he could while using crutches. It's definitely serious if Charet is requesting the meeting down in that room. Without further ado, they reached the second security checkpoint, with each of them being frisked for any listening devices. While not necessary, it was a mandatory step that was taken to ensure the security of the President, and anyone else that was in the room.
It was then that they stepped inside of the Situation Room. The Situation Room was a small room, around 550 square meters in size, with the walls being made of polycrete that had mahogany paneling over them, as well as drywall and a few other materials. The ceiling was a gray color, with powerful lights installed into them, providing ample illumination. Screens on the back of the wall displayed classified and non-classified information that was constantly being updated. A large desk was in the center of the room, with enough chairs for everyone on the Security Council, and anyone else that was authorized to come inside.
At the back of the room, closest to the computer screens, was Ruth Charet herself. Normally, that would've been a welcome sight, but Hood could see the hardened lines on her face and the now sharp, piercing gaze that she had. Something's happened, Hood realized as he looked at Charet. She usually doesn't look like this unless there's something else going on.
Charet wasn't the only one sitting at the table though. There were three other people that were sitting in the room, the first of which was a tall, thin man with gray hair, dark blue eyes and pale skin. The other two were a man with dark skin, black hair and brown eyes, as well as a woman with blond hair, green eyes and fair skin. Finally, there was another woman with dark skin, black hair and green eyes.
Hood recognized the first of the four as Paul Russel. Russel was the UEG Secretary of Defense, which meant that he was second in authority in terms of military matters to Ruth Charet and was her assistant in all matters relating to the Department of Defense. The second of the two was Lester Alphonse, with Alphonse being the Secretary of State, the person responsible for handling affairs involving foreign states, and the man responsible for ensuring that the diplomats and ambassadors of the UEG were able to do their jobs. Finally, there was Patricia Steeds, who was the Minister of Information, and Akeyo Oduya, the Minister for the Colonies, as well as the head of the Colonial Administration Authority.
As soon as they were in, Charet said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. You may be seated." Once everyone had sat down, she said, "As you are all aware, The UNSC Euclid's Hammer intercepted another one of the Infinity's Slipspace probes shortly after it arrived at Epsilon Indi. Inside of the probe was a report that was for my eyes only, as well as a report stating another major finding that happened during Lasky's ongoing mission at the Andromeda Galaxy. I've invited Vice Admiral Starker to be the person that will be sharing with us the events that the log buoy has informed us of happening since the first probe was sent from Coruscant. Starker, you may begin."
"Thank you, ma'am," Starker said. Pulling out a series of manila folders, he quickly passed them around to the people that were sitting at the table. "The information inside of the probes has indicated to I and my colleagues at ONI Section One that Captain Lasky has made a discovery that will likely shake up everything we've assumed about a specific battle that was waged during the Covenant-UNSC War. Does the name Psi Serpentis ring a bell to anyone in here?"
Almost immediately, Hood nodded. The Battle of Psi Serpentis was one of the most devastating battles during the Covenant-UNSC War. Known colloquially as 'Cole's Last Stand', the battle involved 160 UNSC warships that were pitted against 300 Covenant warships. During the battle, Cole had lured the Covenant in towards a gas giant known as Viperidae. When the Covenant were close enough, Cole had fired all of the nuclear missiles onboard the ship into the gas giant. The resulting micronova had reduced Viperidae to a rocky planet, while vaporizing the Covenant fleets that were in the system.
Hogan had also known of the battle, as he said, "Yes. From what I recall correctly, Vice Admiral Preston J. Cole, in charge of the fleet at that system, managed to lure in a fleet of 300 Covenant ships before turning Viperidae into a brown dwarf that vaporized the Covenant fleet, at the cost of his own life. Why?"
"Well," Starker said, "to paraphrase the words of one notable American novelist from the 19th Century, the report of Vice Admiral Cole's death was greatly exaggerated."
The room went dead silent as Starker's words echoed in the room. Even the computers inside of the room seemed to have gone silent at Starker's declaration. Harper, hearing this, asked, "Are you telling us that Vice Admiral Cole is alive?!"
"How?" Hood asked. "Do you have evidence that Cole is alive and well?" Deep down, Hood was surprised to hear that Cole was alive and well. There was also a hint of irritation as he recalled some of the things that Cole had said to him in the past. Get a grip on yourself, he growled. Put old grudges aside and treat with reality.
"That we do," Starker said, unaware of Hood's internal musing. "Inside of the log buoy attached to the probes, Lasky detailed a report indicating what happened. Approximately 15 minutes before he departed from Coruscant, the Capitol world of the Galactic Empire, one of the AIs onboard the ship, Roland, detected a WAVECOM signal that had been traveling towards Coruscant for the better part of a decade or so. This WAVECOM signal was found to be consistent with that of the UNSC Everest, Vice Admiral Cole's flagship." A moment later, Starker played the distress signal that the Infinity had picked up. The words of the AI onboard the ship sent a chill up the spines of everyone that was located inside of the room. As he heard those words, Hood began to realize what might've happened.
It was Osman, however, that summarized what everyone was thinking. "So, Vice Admiral Cole survived the Battle of Psi Serpentis after all. The question, though, is how?"
"How indeed," Starker said. "Fortunately, the log buoy in question was able to explain that much to us. According to records from the Everest, at the moment precisely before the micronova occurred, the Everest initiated a Slipspace jump that saw it exiting the atmosphere of the gas giant. From what we can tell, the imprecise nature of the jump, combined with damage from the battle, caused the Slipspace Drive to malfunction, resulting in the ship ending up in the Deep Core region of the Andromeda Galaxy."
Hogan whistled. "Damn… now that's one hell of a drive malfunction, even worse than what the Infinity suffered. What happened after that?"
"According to information recovered from the log buoy, Cole ordered all crew to enter the cryopods before doing so himself. The AI of the ship was also instructed to configure the reactor to allow them to survive in cryonic stasis indefinitely, before setting up a distress signal in the event that a UNSC ship happened to find them. After that, the AI self-terminated to avoid Rampancy."
"And that's how Lasky found them?" Hood asked.
"Yes," Starker said. "Lasky found the Everest drifting in space near the Jerrilek System, located near the Koros Trunk Line, a hyperlane in use by the Empire. A report made by Fireteam Majestic indicated that the ship had moderate damage as a result of the micronova and the ensuing battle, though all systems came online and the crew was revived. Vice Admiral Cole was also found alive and well. We have also confirmed from the report that Cole is loyal to the UNSC."
"Are you certain of that?" Osman asked. "We know from numerous reports that Cole had a relative that was allied with the Insurrection."
"Yes," Starker said. "His wife, Lyrenne Castilla. However, an audio log that was included on the log buoy indicated that Lasky thoroughly questioned Cole on his loyalties as per UNSC protocol. While we will have to have Fleet Admiral Harper confirm if this report is accurate or not, initial assessments indicate that Cole is still loyal to the UNSC."
There was a concerted sigh of relief from the others in the room. That had been the biggest question that needed answering in the entire conference: was Cole still loyal to the UNSC? It would've been scary if he hadn't been, Hood thought. The fact that he is, though, means that we have an asset that we can definitely use against the Empire.
"That's a relief," Osman said. "I wouldn't have wanted to deal with the aftermath if we found out that he wasn't."
"Same here," Hood said. "Good to see that Cole is still UNSC through and through."
"Indeed," Charet said, "though there's another question that I and Alphonse have been wondering."
"Yes," Alphonse said, his deep voice rumbling in the room. Looking at Osman, he asked, "Why did you attempt to have Lasky and Melody killed?"
The silence that filled the room was nothing short of deafening, and the reactions that question caused were as varied as they were immediate. Both Strauss and Dellert looked at each other with confusion, while Hood and Hogan did the same. Harper looked like someone had asked him a difficult math question, while Osman shared the same look of confusion as the others. "Excuse me?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"
"What Alphonse is referring to is this," Ruth Charet said, holding up a datapad that likely held the report that had been classified as being for her eyes only. "According to Envoy Melody Azikiwe, during the mission to determine if Cole was alive and well, the Infinity's AIs caused the entire ship to enter lock down, during which were numerous reports of ONI officers leading military police in attacks against UNSC personnel. All of these attacks were masterminded by an ONI Captain named Ferdinand Warner, who intended to kill Lasky and Melody while taking over as the CO of the Infinity. I also have video evidence to show for it."
At that, she played a video log of what had happened during the coup. Everyone watched with rapt attention as the coup progressed, with Ferdinand threatening Lasky and Melody with violence if they didn't hand over control of the ship to him. All were relieved when they heard Cole ordering Ferdinand to stand down, whereupon the man was arrested. Looking at Osman as the footage ended, Ruth asked, "So, would you kindly explain as to why that happened, Director Osman?"
Almost everyone in the room looked sharply at Osman. Her face had gone white "I have nothing to do with that!" she said sharply. "I can tell you for certain that I did not authorize such an operation. I -" She stopped when she realized who had likely done the operation without her authorization. "Ferdinand," she growled.
"So you do know something about what happened," Hood said. "So, what really happened, Director?"
Osman took a breath, then let it out. "During the second series of operations that took place at Requiem, Captain Lasky defied a direct order from me to have Dr. Halsey assassinated when I learned that she was colluding with Storm Covenant and Promethean personnel in order to acquire the Janus Key, and due to my own actions which forced her to work with them. As a result of his actions, I stationed ONI officers onboard and had a Prowler assigned to the Infinity to ensure that Lasky would not act out of line in case he was given a similar order. I gave strict orders, however, that Lasky was not to be harmed in any way, with the same order extending to all UEG personnel onboard the ship. Clearly, Captain Ferdinand violated a standing order of mine, all for the sake of grabbing power in an attempt to conduct unauthorized operations against the Galactic Empire."
"Why would your organization even want control of the Infinity anyways?" Ruth Charet asked. "Technically, it is a part of the UNSC Navy, which means that ONI has no jurisdiction there. In addition, if you wanted to have Lasky removed, you could've talked with Hood, or even Lasky's XO. In fact, you should give me one good reason why I shouldn't charge you for high treason, as it seems to me that, in attempting to take the Infinity, you were intending to perform a coup d'etat against the UNSC and UEG."
"Because I never once intended to commit treason," Osman said sharply. "Captain Ferdinand disobeyed my orders not to harm any UEG personnel. In addition, I would never support any actions, or even the mere thought of committing treason. If anyone committed treason, it was Ferdinand, and I am more than happy to allow you to charge him with treason if that is what you want to do, Madam President."
"Good," Ruth Charet said. "At least you have your loyalites and mind straight, unlike Ferdinand. Still, as President of the United Earth Government, I am also the Commander-in-Chief of all UNSC forces. As such…" Turning her gaze towards Osman, Ruth Charet said, "As of now, Serin Osman, you will be demoted to the rank of Vice Admiral, unless your superiors decide otherwise. I will also inform Margaret Parangosky that she is now the Director of ONI, effective immediately. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," Osman said, her face was as pale as a sheet. She had tried to ensure that a mess of hers was cleaned up properly, only for her plans to explode in her face. This was the worst kind of failure, the worst! Still, she knew that she had no choice but to take her medicine like a responsible woman. Taking a breath, she said, "Understood. I sincerely apologize for all the trouble that my faulty judgment caused."
Charet looked her in the eyes. "Don't be sorry, Osman. Be better. Now, you will kindly escort yourself back to Facility Bravo-6 and await further instructions. Understood?"
"Completely, ma'am," Osman said. Standing up from her seat, she walked towards the door, which one of the guards in the room opened for her. Once she had stepped out, he closed the door and locked it again.
"Fuck me," Hogan said. "Now that was some drama that I didn't need today."
"Tell me about it," Strauss said. "First we find out that Cole is alive, well and loyal to us, then we learn about all of this shit. Remind me to go on paid vacation when I have the opportunity. Still, Ferdinand was an idiot if he thought he could take on the Empire with just the Infinity and her support ships."
"That he is," Hood said. "Had his coup succeeded, we would have a rouge ONI officer on our hands. Worse still, he might've not only gotten himself killed, he might've allowed the Infinity to be captured by the Galactic Empire, and that is a security breach we cannot afford to have. Good thing Cole was on hand to ensure that the coup failed. Had he not been there, things might've definitely gotten messy. Did anything else happen after the attempted coup?"
"Yes," Starker said. "According to the log buoy, Cole and Lasky had a talk with each other that lasted for some time. Given Cole's security clearance, Lasky was required to share classified intelligence and information with him. Following this, Vice Admiral Cole provisionally promoted Lasky to the rank of RDML."
The Generals and Admirals in the room looked at each other. Hearing this, Hood said, "Well… shit."
"What? Why? What's the matter?" Hogan asked. "It almost sounds as though you didn't want him to become a RDML."
"Because it interfered with my plans," Hood said. "Given what we now know, I am going to have to tell all of you what I was planning for Lasky." Looking at the others, he said, "Part of the reason why I was irritated with Osman before her dismissal is because I plan on Lasky being my successor.
The others looked at him. "Lasky is to be your successor?" Ruth Charet asked.
"Yes," Hood said. "Given his distinguished service record, as well as his command of the Infinity, I had planned on promoting him to RADM. This would solve two major problems that are currently ongoing in that regard. The first was that the Infinity was not being commanded by a Rear Admiral, a problem that is now solved due to the fact that Cole, under UNSC protocols, would become the new CO of the Infinity.
"I am also aware of the numerous formal complaints about the fact that the Infinity was being led by a Captain rather than a Rear Admiral, and didn't have a fleet to accompany the Infinity. Lasky made me aware of those problems when he requessted that a Vice Admiral be stationed on his ship, along with a fleet in order to hunt down and destroy the CSO-class Supercarrier he encountered and was forced to fleet from at Kamtchatka. As such, I planned for him to be my successor as Chief of Naval Operations and as Admiral of the Navy. However, since Osman at the time seemed dead set on removing Lasky, I had Andrew Del Rio as another potential candidate."
At that, the others paled. "Absolutely NOT!" Hogan roared, prompting the guards to move towards him. Ruth, though, had them return to their positions with a gesture. Realizing that he had been a bit rough, Hogan restrained himself. "Absolutely not!" he said. "Why the hell would you have Del Rio as a suitable candidate for the position of Chief of Naval Operations?!"
"Beats me," Strauss said. "And I thought I was the guy that came up with some crazy schemes. This is crazier than that!"
"I know what the rest of you are thinking," Hood said, "While he isn't an excellent military officer, he does have considerable experience in politics, which makes sense given that the position of Chairman of the UNSC is a political position rather than a military one. He might even be more suited for the job than Lasky due to his greater experience. Still, given his service record, I fully intend for Lasky to be my successor as Chairman of the Navy and as Admiral of the Navy… if he doesn't get himself killed first, that is."
"So, Del Rio is you secondary choice?" Hogan asked.
"Yes," Hood said.
"Good," Hogan said. "After everything that happened at New Phoenix, I'd much rather have Lasky instead of Del Rio in that position."
"I hear ya on that," Deller said. "For some strange reason, Lasky always gets into trouble. It's like he tries to find the largest bush around and then jumps right into it, regardless of whether there are snakes in it or not."
"Tell me about it," Hood said. "Still, now you know what my plans for him are. The question is, why did Cole promote him to the position of RDML?"
"We will get to that in good time," Starker said. "The meeting also had another major event. During their discussion with each other, Cole also decided to provisionally promote the Master Chief from his rank of Master Chief Petty Officer to that of RADM. According to his report, part of his decision was motivated due to a lack of competence that was causing problems with the Spartan Corps personnel onboard. This allowed him to replace Commander Sarah Palmer as the head of all Spartan Operations personnel and to ensure that incompetence wouldn't cause any trouble."
"Yes," Hood said. "I remember reading the reports on that. Ghanem? Your thoughts?"
"Yeah," Admiral Ghanem said with a frown. "The Spartan Corps is, very much, a new branch of the UNSC, so I expected some incompetence as personnel were shifted around. Still, what happened at Requiem, combined with what is plainly obvious in the report is... disturbing. I believe that Vice Admiral Cole was right to have the Master Chief provisionally promoted to his current rank in order to address that oversight. I will also be doing a little house cleaning when this meeting is over."
"Good," Hood said. "The sooner we can fix those problems, the better." Looking at Starker, he asked, "Is there anything else?"
"Yes," Starker said. "However, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't warn you that what you might hear might make you angry."
"Well, consider me warned. What is it?"
Starker took a deep breath before continuing. "Cole also mentioned that, during a private talk that he had with Dr. Halsey, that the late Colonel Ackerson attempted to assassinate the Master Chief in 2552. However, according to Halsey, this was covered up by Vice Admiral Stanforth for the sake of organization cohesion."
That took everyone by surprise, but Hogan noticed that it was Hood that had a different reaction. The man's fist had clenched, and his eyes seemed to harden slightly. "Why would Ackerson dare to do such a thing?" Hood asked, his voice having a flat calmness that caused the hairs on the backs of everyone's necks to stand on end.
It was Strauss who answered. "I know why," Strauss said. "Permission to explain, sirs?"
"Granted," Hood said. "Enlighten us as to why Ackerson would dare do such a thing."
"All right," Strauss said. "All of it started when he requested permission to create the Spartan-III Program, which attempted to create Spartans using recruits from various sources. The Spartan-IIIs, though, were meant to be used as expendable assets against hostile targets during the Covenant-UNSC War, as Ackerson argued that the duty of a soldier was to 'trade lives for time.' As such, Dr. Halsey and the Spartan-II Program were a direct obstacle to his goal, though to be honest, they never liked each other. Ackerson and Haley often got into fights with each other. This came to a head during August 29th of 2552, Ackerson attempted to kill the Master Chief using Lotus anti-tank mines, a squad of ODSTs, as well as a Skyhawk in an attempt to disgrace the Spartan-IIs and Dr. Halsey and, if possible, kill the greatest supersoldier of the Spartan-II program. It failed, though Stanforth covered it up, as I said, to maintain organization cohesion."
The room was silent for a minute after Strauss shared what he knew. "Damn, and I thought I had rivalries," Deller said. "Still, why the hell would Ackerson attempt to do this?!"
"Greed," Hood said. "I also met Ackerson before. He was something of a pompous person that mixed personal glory with humanitarian goals. My question, though, is why didn't you share this with us before, Strauss?"
Strauss frowned. "Ackerson blackmailed me into silence. I found out about what happened, but he threatened me with political and military reprisal if I chose to leak this information to the rest of HIGHCOM. Plus, given that he had a seat on the Security Council, I was effectively trapped. I had no choice but to remain silent."
"So he forced you to keep your mouth shut, which gave him free reign to do all of this," Hood said. He sighed. "Normally, I would be angry with you, but given that Ackerson was a member of the Security Council before his death during the Battle of Earth, I can say that you were legitimately trapped. We'll have to perform posthumous disciplinary action against him, though we'll have to do so at another time. We have more pressing matters." Looking at Starker, he asked, "Anything else?"
"Yes,' Starker said. "Following Cole becoming the CO of the Infinity, they made a Slipspace jump to a star system known as Pantora. According to intelligence that was on the log buoy, the Pantorans are a humanoid species that look remarkably human, with the only differences being gold eyes as well as blue skin."
A moment later, a hologram of a Pantoran appeared over the table, with the others watching it with interest. They do look Human, Hood noted to himself. In fact, an ordinary human could be easily disguised to look like one. It's almost like we're looking at an actor in a B-grade sci-fi film. Still, he figured that there was more to this, as he remained silent.
After allowing the Admirals a minute of silent observation, Starker said, "According to one of the new recruits for the Infinity, Cadet Jyn Erso, Pantora was isolated from the wider galaxy following the Clone Wars. This in their government, the Pantoran Assembly, splitting into three main factions: the Appeasers, Republicans and Expansionists."
"Kinda reminds me of the political parties of the defunct United States," Charet said.
"Indeed," Starker said. "The Appeasers are the faction that is most strongly aligned with the Empire. They wish to join with the Empire in order to gain access to the economic stability and security that the Empire provides. The Republicans, the largest of the factions, want to remain separate from the Empire due to their belief that the Empire has turned its back on everything the Old Republic stood for."
"And the Expansionists?"
"They wish to create alliances and treaties with the worlds surrounding Pantora," Starker explained. "However, those worlds are a safe haven for slavers and pirates. They are the smallest faction in the Pantoran Assembly, due to the fact that most Pantorans find slavery and piracy to be abhorrent."
"That's good news," Hogan said. "I'd rather not have pirates and slavers as my bedfellows. I take it that the Infinity went there for a reason."
"Yes," Starker said. "According to intelligence on the buoy, Cole, Lasky and Melody intended to create a temporary treaty with the Pantorans. In exchange for being promised an alliance with the UEG and UNSC, and all the benefits that such an alliance would bring, the Pantorans agreed to offer room and board for the Infinity and the other ships in Cole's fleet for the time being.
"That being said, the Expansionists weren't too keen on working with the UNSC, nor were they happy to hear about us. Around twenty one days ago, the Expansionists, under the guidance of their leader, one Senator Forad, attempted to overthrow the legitimate Pantoran Assembly's government and replace it with a pirate and slaver controlled government. They attempted to assassinate Melody, though the attempt was thwarted thanks to timely action on RADM-117's part, as well as Blue Team. They also attempted to force Cole into giving up the Infinity and all personnel in the fleet or risk losing the government."
The others looked at each other. "Was Forad being stupid?" Hood asked. "Either he was being a complete fool, as I suspect he was, or he was secretly confident enough to try something like this. Was he? I'm confused."
"Yeah," Russel said. "I'm not a military analyst, but I can tell you for certain that you don't attack a supercarrier unless you know something that the enemy doesn't. As far as I can tell, Forad was being a complete fool. Was he?"
"I'm wondering the same thing," Charet said.
"He was," Starker said. "During the ten or so days that they were discussing the treaty, Cole began an intelligence gathering operation in order to find out more about the Expansionists. This was done alongside a military operation to provide Melody protection from any potential assassins that the Expansionists would attempt to hire to kill her. This involved an on-site investigation into the Pantorans by ONI personnel."
That provoked some startled muttering. "Was Cole attempting to cause a diplomatic incident?!" Alphonse spluttered. "If the Pantorans were to find out about this, I can bet you credaroos to dollars that they would raise hell for that."
"Yeah," Hood agreed. He too knew what might happen if an unsanctioned military operation were to commence. "Something tells me, though, that this enabled Cole to defeat the pirates that attempted the coup."
"It did," Starker said. "Records indicate that ONI Captain Veronica Dare led a 16 man squad into the Pantoran Assembly Chambers to liberate the Senators inside of the building, while detaining Forad and his accomplices. While they were able to do so, five ODSTs were killed and two more were severely injured."
A moment later, footage of the coup was played, with the gathered personnel watching as Captain Dare took two teams of ODSTs into the building to liberate the hostages. Things went smoothly until they reached the Assembly Chambers, whereupon the footage showed a massive firefight breaking out. Hood shivered as he heard the screams of dying ODSTs, while also hearing the shouts and cries of agony that came from the pirates as they were gunned down.
When the footage ended. the reaction from the others was prompt and negative. "Damn," Hogan hissed, a grimace on his face. "Those pirates must've been packing some serious hardware to be able to kill five ODSTs before being detained. What the hell happened to them?"
"That, I can explain," Starker said. "According to log records made by Weapons Engineer Borodin Kalashnikov, and logs made by Captain Dare and RADM-117, the pirates were armed with two weapons that we have not previously encountered before. Those weapons were the Verpine Sniper Rifle and the Disruptor."
At that, a holographic image of the two weapons appeared over the table. One of them looked like a conventional sniper rifle, while the other looked like the blasters that they had seen in the previous briefing, only larger and chunkier. "The first of the weapons that you see is the Verpine Sniper Rifle. They're part of a class of weapons that are known as Verpine Shatter Guns. Information obtained from the HoloNet, as well as from Borodin's studies, indicate that the Verpine Shatter Guns are an advanced form of hand-held railgun. They fire high velocity projectiles using electromagnetic repulsion and attraction, and are also capable of firing multiple calibers of projectile without modification.
"The second weapon that you see is what's known as a Disruptor. Intelligence gathered by Cortana, and Borodin's studies, indicate that the Disruptors are a modified form of Blaster. That same intelligence indicates that Disruptors work by creating an energy wave consisting of nonharmonic energy pulses that excite a target's molecular structure to the point that it destroys the bonds that hold the constituent atoms together."
"Damn," Strauss said. "Those are impressive weapons."
"Agreed," Hood said. "What has me confused is how these weapons were able to kill ODSTs. Their armor is some of the best out there."
"It is," Strauss said, "but we also have to remember that this is a new galaxy we're looking at. They've pursued weapon ideas and concepts that we wouldn't even think to dream of in the first place. In addition, ODST armor is usually not outfitted with energy shields, which renders them vulnerable to weapons like the Disruptor. As for how the weapons were able to inflict the damage that they were able to, well, it's simple really. The Verpine Shatter Guns, especially the Sniper Rifle, work on a manner that is nearly identical to the M99 Stanchion rifle used during the Insurrection. The only difference is that their grasp of the principles behind the Stanchion are not as good as our own. Still, the rifles are powerful enough to where they can damage armored vehicles and down the shields on MJÖLNIR Powered Armor in an instant."
Hearing this, the Generals and Admirals in the room looked at each other with worried glances. If what Starker was saying was true, then the Galactic Empire had weapons that were capable of killing a Spartan in a single hit. "How common are these weapons?" Hood asked.
"It depends on the platform of weapon," Starker said. "Verpine Shatter Guns are manufactured in formats ranging from handguns to rifles and, finally, sniper rifles. Intel suggests that they cost, on average, around 15,000-30,000 credits depending on the platform itself. Verpine Sniper Rifles, for the most part, are expensive enough to where only assassins can usually afford them, while the smaller variety of Verpine Shatter Guns are more common. Still, they're not very common due to a number of factors."
"And those would be?"
"The cost, for one," Starker said, "as well as another factor. Verpine Shatter Guns are powerful, but they're not particularly durable. Dropping one renders the weapon inaccurate at range, so while any close quarters fighting is viable, any long range sniper action is compromised. While the weapon can be hardened against an EMP or kinetic shock, the upgrades are highly expensive and only the wealthiest assassins can afford them."
There was a sigh of relief at that, though it was clear that it wasn't much of a relief. No one likes the idea of having projectile weapons capable of killing a Spartan in one go outside of their possession, Hood mused. Least of all ONI. "And the other weapons?" he asked.
"The Disruptors are not very common," Starker said. "According to Cortana's intelligence, Disruptors are illegal within the Empire, and anyone that is found in possession of one often ends up having a lengthy prison term. That being said, there are exceptions to the rule. Bounty hunters typically use them for assassinations, as when a human being is shot with one of these things, there's usually nothing left but a pile of ash"
Everyone shivered at that. "Shit!" Hogan muttered. "And I thought Forerunner weapons were more dangerous."
"They still are," Starker said. "Promethean weapons tend to completely disintegrate a person, enough to where not even ashes remain. Disruptors are similar, but they're not nearly as refined. In addition, as intelligence gathered by Cortana notes, ODST armor is strong enough to survive a direct hit from a disruptor bolt in the chest region. The resulting hit, however, generates enough energy to destroy the chest armor in one go, while stripping the skin on the target's upper chest away, exposing bone and muscle in the process."
At that, Alphonse looked like he was about to hurl. Russel, noting his sickened expression, quickly handed him a open bag, and just in time, as Alphone hurled into it moments later. "Are you OK?" President Charet asked.
Alphonse hurled for a few more seconds, then wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. Closing the bag and handing it to a guard, who tossed it into the trash, he leaned back and croaked, "Yeah. I'm OK."
"Do you want to continue being in this meeting?"
"Yes," Alphonse said. "I'm bound to hear of shit like that." Taking a sip from a glass of water, he cleared his throat and said, "Please. Go on."
"All right," Starker said. "In addition to that fact, intelligence also shows that Disruptors have a significantly shorter range than typical Blasters do, often to the point where you have to be within close quarters before you're in danger of being disintegrated by one. In addition, they are ammo inefficient, with most Disruptors only being able to fire a few shots before requiring reloading. They're also more delicate than normal blasters, as some can't be fired after their ammo's been discharged, not without blowing up in the shooter's face."
Again, there was relief, though like with their learning of the Verpine Shatter Guns, the relief wasn't much. "How effective are they against shields?" Hood asked.
"We don't know at this time," Starker said. "That being said, Borodin said in his report that, should a third probe be launched, he will include data on that. It should give us a good idea of what we can expect when the fleet leaves for the Andromeda Galaxy."
"Agreed," Hood said. "That being said, what happened following this ground action?"
"Following the rescuing of the Senators and the incarceration of Forad, a pirate fleet was sent to engage the Infinity, the Everest and the support fleet. The hostile contacts consisted of a Neutron Star class bulk cruiser, several Carrack-class light cruisers, as well as two Nebulon-B class frigates. Combat data indicates that the Nebulon-B frigates were modified, as their particle shields were strong enough to deflect small scale MAC rounds, though they were ultimately overwhelmed and destroyed, with only one of the frigates surviving before it was boarded. The Neutron Star class bulk carrier was destroyed by a single, subcaliber shot from the Infinity."
A moment later, footage of the battle played, along with video/audio recordings of the belligerents associated with the battle. As they watched, Hood and the others gave a slight cheer as the Infinity destroyed the Neutron Star bulk cruiser, shattering the enemy starship with a single hit. The battle quickly escalated from there, with the pirates attempting to board ships with shuttles, only for those shuttles to be blasted into debris by the Infinity's point defense systems, as well as any point defense systems on the Strident and Anlance class frigates.
There was also footage of the boarding parties that the Spartans and Marines had participated in. Footage showed that the pirates discipline and resolve began to fracture and shatter once the Spartan IVs and Marines boarded. Some tried to fleet, others defiantly fought on, while others seemed to fall dead where they stood. Before long, those feeds showed that the Marines and Spartans had successfully commandeered those ships.
Hogan smiled at that. "Hah! That'll teach those pirate bastards a thing or two about the UNSC and how we deal with pirates!"
"Agreed," President Charet said.
"Yeah," Alphonse croaked. "That being said, what happened after the battle. I can't imagine that the Pantorans were too happy about what happened."
"They were grateful to be rescued, but not for Cole's unsanctioned intelligence gathering operation," Starker said. "However, the log buoy indicates that the Pantorans decided to let the matter drop, as it was that same intelligence gathering team that saved their lives. That being said, one of the stipulations for the treaty was that Cole and future UNSC officers were to inform them of any intelligence gathering operations that were ongoing on Pantora."
"A reasonable outcome," Alphonse decided. "I take it that is the bulk of what was on the log buoy."
"For the most part," Starker said. "As for your earlier question, Admiral Hood, on why Lasky was made into an RMDL, it was not purely motivated by Lasky's service record. During their initial meeting with the Pantorans, Cole was contacted by the Rebel Alliance, who wished to file a complaint with him due to Lasky's initial refusal to join the Rebel Alliance, as well as his critical review of their organization's structure."
"They wanted to complain to Cole just because of Lasky doing what he was required to do?" Hogan asked. "Are the Rebel Alliance's leaders so asinine as to even think of doing that?"
"It seems that way," Hood said. "I take it Cole promoted Lasky in front of them?"
"Yes," Starker said. "In addition to Lasky being promoted in front of the Alliance's leaders, they consulted with Envoy Melody on how to better organize their faction, though most of the questions in that regard were asked by a former Imperial Senator known as Garm Bel Iblis. Those questions, however, revealed information that fills in some of the Andromeda Galaxy's recent history."
"And that would be?"
"The reason why they had to use clones during the Clone Wars. According to intelligence and information gathered by Melody and Cortana, the galaxy, before the Clone Wars, had no real military. This was due to an event known as the Russan Reformations, which saw the disbanding of all military and intelligence gathering organizations, as well as an expansion of the judiciary. The goal was to not only reorganize the Old Republic, but to also ensure that another war wouldn't break out again. This, though, was done over a thousand years ago, which explains the initial chaos of the Clone Wars."
Hood was baffled. "They got rid of their own military?" he asked. When Starker nodded, he said, "Then they are a bunch of fools! You don't disband your entire military force for no damn reason. Doing so is basically like inviting an enemy like the Covenant to come and glass every one of your worlds. What were they thinking?!"
"That's what I'm wondering," Hogan said. "Somebody caught the idiot ball. The question is, why?"
"A good question," Starker said. "Also, there is something else that you should know." Clearing his throat, he said, "According to the report, Senator Leia Organa of the Imperial Senate has been assigned as the Empire's official Imperial Ambassador to the UNSC and UEG. As you all know, she was the Imperial Senator that first met with Lasky and arranged for a ceasefire."
"Interesting," Charet said. "I told Hood at one point that I did wish to speak with her when we got the chance. It appears as though that chance is coming sooner than we think."
"Indeed," Hood said. "Is there anything else concerning Leia?"
"Yes," Starker said. "Lasky has suspicions that Leia is not Bail Organa's daughter, though as I said, he has suspicions, but no real proof yet."
"We'll table that discussion for another time," Hood said. "Still, thank you for bringing this to our attention. Would you step out for a moment please?"
"Sure," Starker said. Walking to the door, he waited for the guard to let him out, before advancing out the door.
Once the guard shut the door and locked it again, the others began to speak with each other. "As if things couldn't get more complicated," Russel said. "First, we learn that the Infinity is in another galaxy. Now we learn that she's under the command of Vice Admiral Cole, who is no longer KIA, and was able to work with Melody in order to negotiate a peace treaty with the Pantorans. This is pretty kettle of fish!"
"Tell me about it," Patricia Steeds said. "Breaking this to the public is going to be difficult, to say the least."
"Agreed," President Charet said. "However, we now have something we can work with. The report that Melody sent me told me that the Pantorans ratified the treaty that she proposed to them, which means that we now have a foothold in the Andromeda Galaxy. That being said, as she is an Envoy, she is not qualified to conduct a long term agreement with them."
"Yeah," Alphonse said. "With your permission, Madame President, I would like to have an additional ambassadorial ship assigned to the fleet in order to handle this new development. Any ambassadors that are assigned to Pantora will need to speak with Envoy Melody in order to be brought up to speed on what's going on there. I'll personally assign Ambassador Richard Cleese, as well as Deputy Secretary of State Alexandria Wright, to this matter."
"A wise decision," President Charet said. "I believe that is definitely in order. And Melody?"
"Remind me to give her a raise and a promotion to full time Ambassador. It's clear that she's earned the position. Her handling of the Pantorans was a textbook example of how foreign relations should be handled properly."
"Then we'll make it so," Charet decided. "I will also have the Senate vote on another candidate for Deputy Secretary of State, and that candidate will become the head of a new office I will be making: Secretary of Intergalactic Relations. Hood, your thoughts?"
"I believe that is also an excellent idea," Hood said. "I'll also assign a military ambassador, Douglas Barnard specifically, to Pantora so that any matters of a military matter can be quickly handled with a minimum of fuss. That being said, there's the obvious elephant in the room we need to discuss."
"Yeah," Fleet Admiral Harper said. "Cole and his ship. Personally, I trust Lasky's judgment when it comes to Cole, especially given his service record. That being said, I will personally examine Cole's actions and make certain that he is loyal to the UNSC, without alienating him that is. The Everest, however, is another matter. Given the amount of battle damage it suffered, its age, as well as the fact that most of its ammunition has been depleted, we'll have to account for that in any refits that we conduct."
"That we will," Hood said. "I'll have a few mobile shipyards assigned to the fleet that is being put together, as well as supply ships that have all the necessary munitions, weapons, equipment and materials needed to fully refit and upgrade the Everest to current day standards, as well as a Smart AIs to replace the one that was originally assigned to the Everest, and to fill out any requests for Smart AIs that have been made. We'll also need to assign a UNSC medical ship to the fleet, though I have that covered already. I will also have prison ships go with the fleet in order to detain any of the pirates that survived that battle, as well as the Stormtroopers that the Infinity currently has inside her onboard brig."
"I'll also have CAA Marhsals go with the fleet as well," Minister Ayido added. "We'll need them for their law enforcement experience on the frontier, as well as CAA officials to oversee their actions. I'll also speak with ENGICOM and MEDICOM to make sure that they can send along some of their ships and personnel."
"I'll also speak with the Quarterstaff General Offices for other supplies that we'll need as well. I'll also speak with the Astronavigation Corps, Astrophysics Corps, Procurement as well as the Logistical Operations Command and all other UNSC corps to send more personnel and equipment to the fleet.
"Excellent," Charet said. "It sounds as though you've already got a plan worked out for Cole and the others."
"That we do," Hood said. "We're also going to be sending a number of colony ships as well. Part of the report indicated that Lasky had a peacetime crew, and that he was expecting numerous pregnancies after doing a personnel review. That being said, how do you plan to handle the civilian and political side of things."
"Well," Charet said, "given that we've been planning for this day, I already have things in motion." Looking at Steeds, she asked, "Do you have a plan for releasing this information to the public?"
"Not a full plan, but a preliminary one," Patricia Steeds said. "Give me a week and I'll have a press release ready to go. I'm already working with members of the UNSC, as well as other members of the UEG that are in the know to create propaganda, as well as support for the UNSC military."
"Good," Charet said. "Given that Alphonse and the rest of us have been hard at work on this plan, I can say that we will be fully ready for when the time comes to reveal this information to the public. With that, gentlemen, it is time that we adjourn this meeting. May fortune favor us." With that, everyone got up and quickly left the room.
. . .
Back at HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6, Osman was sitting at her desk, rubbing her face with her hands as she contemplated what had happened. This was a complete failure on my part, she thought to herself. Not only was my handling of the situation at Requiem very poorly done, my plan to ensure Lasky's obedience completely blew up in my face! I look like an incompetent idiot to everyone in that room now!
Letting out an explosive sigh, she took a few deep breaths, let them out, and repeated this for a few seconds. While it was a bad situation, Osman knew that she could still salvage it, though there was only one way she could. I'll just have to bite the bullet and see what Parangosky and Hood intend to do with me.
She didn't have to wait long, as there came a knock at the door. Standing upright, she said, "Come in." When the door opened, she found Parangosky looking at her, causing her to blanch while began to skip a beat at times out of nervousness. "Director Parangosky," she said. "I would like to apologize for -"
"Hush," Parangosky said. " I heard all about the debacle, especially when the President informed me over a video call. I must say, you slipped up quite badly, enough that I'm still wondering how this could have happened. Still, you've already apologized for your error in judgment. There is no need to repeat it over and over again. As Charet told you, 'don't be sorry, be better.' Now, I need you to come with me. I personally requested a private meeting with myself, you and Admiral Hood."
"Yes, ma'am," Osman said. Without a word of complaint, she advanced to the door and out into the hall, with the two quickly making their way towards Admiral Hood's office. Once they came to the door of his office, Parangosky knocked, with the door unlocking in response, allowing them to move inside.
Hood's office was probably one of the more decorated ones inside the facility. On one side there was a bookshelf that had numerous books on various naval events and theories, along with a few chairs and a desk. On the other side was a series of cabinets, with a coffee machine, as well as a few bottles of hard liquor on a counter. The back wall of the room was occupied by the UNSC Eagle, as well as a few filing cabinets.
Behind an oak desk that had a computer monitor built into it was Admiral Hood. Once the two were inside, he pressed a hidden button beneath his desk. There was a humming sound as the room engaged a series of security systems before everything went silent. "Thank you two for coming," he said. "Sit down. You look like you could use a rest."
"Thank you," Parangosky said. As she sat down, she said, "While Osman has apologized for what happened earlier today, I would like to apologize for all this nastiness that happened. None of us saw what was coming today."
"Indeed," Hood said. "However, what happened has made it clear that there's been a failure to communicate." When they gave him a confused expression, he said, "Not on your part, but on mine." Leaning forwards in his chair, he said, "You remember, Osman, when I declined Lasky's offer to be promoted, as well as his request for a fleet and for a Vice Admiral to be aboard the Infinity, after his encounter with the CSO-class Supercarrier at Kamtchatka?"
"Yes," Osman said. "You had us all confused, especially when you said that you had your reasons for declining his request. I take it you're going to share with us why?"
"Yes," Hood said. "I've already shared it with the others, so no need to hide it from the rest of you." Looking the two square in the eyes, he said, "I've decided that Thomas Lasky is going to be my successor as Chief of Naval Operations and as the Admiral of the Navy."
When he said this, Osman looked surprised. Parangosky shared the same expression for a moment, then seemed to accept with equanimity. "I didn't know that," Osman said. "Shit! No wonder you were irritated when we learned of the attempted coup that Ferdinand tried. Damnit!"
"Yes," Hood said. "It is quite irritating when the man that you've picked for the job is nearly killed, on multiple occasions, by ONI. However, as I have said before, I carry part of the blame for not telling you my plans for Lasky. That being said, if you continue to attempt to assassinate Lasky, and even succeed, I will likely have Andrew Del Rio become the Chief of Naval Operations."
Parangosky looked at Hood with some slight disbelief. "Andrew Del Rio as Chief of Naval Operations?" she asked. "You must be joking, Hood."
"I'm not," Hood said. "Given that Osman has tried to repeatedly kill Lasky or remove him from his position, I've been forced to look for candidates in the position that Lasky is KIA or deposed in some way. Del Rio is the next best candidate in that regard. He has more political experience than Lasky does, and he's served time in the military. He would be an excellent candidate for the position."
At that, both Parangosky and Osman shouted, "NO!", before realizing they had raised their voices. Composing herself, Parangosky said, "That is out of the question! I do not want Del Rio to become the Chief of Naval Operations."
"You sure?" Hood asked Osman, "because it seems to me that you're dead set on killing or removing Lasky, which leaves me no choice but to switch to Del Rio. That being said, since you don't want Del Rio to have the position of Chief of Naval Operations, let me make this loud and clear to you." Standing up, he looked at them and said, "Cease and desist in your attempts to assassinate Lasky or remove him from his current position in the Navy. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir," Parangosky said. "Osman?"
Osman was no fool. The growl in Hood's voice, combined with how eerily calm he was, and Parangosky's question, made it clear that any insubordination would earn them nothing but retribution. "Yes," Osman said. "I will cease and desist in my actions against Lasky.
"Agreed," Parangosky said. "For the record, though, I will make it clear that I never approved of Osman's decisions in the first place. I like Lasky, and I think he would make an excellent RADM, if a certain somebody agrees not to go after him anymore."
"Good," Hood said. "That being said, I believe a few demotions are in order."
"Yes, they are," Parangosky said. Looking at Osman, she said, "While I know that you've apologized for your actions, Osman, this incident has highlighted a flaw in your character. You need to learn that, if you want to succeed me as Director of ONI, you will have to work with people that you do not like, and even have some of those people as your closest allies. You understand, yes?"
"Yes," Osman said. Already, she knew where Parangosky was going.
"Then you will understand why I am demoting you to RDML," Parangosky said. "However, given that Lasky currently has no intelligence officers at their disposal, I have new orders for you. You will be going with the fleet to the Pantoran System in the Andromeda Galaxy. Lasky will be your new superior. You will follow his instructions to the letter, even if you don't like them. Am I understood?"
Osman looked calm externally, but internally she was nervous. She didn't like having to work with people she didn't like, though it was clear that she had no choice in the matter. Besides, I brought this down on my head. I made this mess, and it is up to me to clean it up. "Yes, ma'am," she said, a slight hint of nervousness in her voice. "Before I go, I would like to make a request."
"Go ahead," Parangosky said.
"I would request to have command of Kilo-5, as well as the Port Stanley and the Smart AI Black Box. They are highly useful ONI Assets and I believe that we will need them for dealing with this new galaxy."
Parangosky nodded. "Granted. You will need their expertise, but keep in mind that they are under Lasky's command, as are you. Is there anything else that you would like to request?"
"Not at this moment, no."
"Good." Seeing the frown on Osman's face, Parangosky smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Cheer up, Osman," she said. "Think of this as an opportunity to grow as a person and to learn. Besides, you've gotten a privilege that no one else in ONI, aside from those onboard the Infinity and Everest, has ever had: you get to go to a new galaxy. If anything, I'm jealous in that regard. Now run along and get your things packed. It'll be time for you to go before long."
"Yes, ma'am," Osman said. Getting up from her seat, she quickly advanced towards the door. Once Hood disabled the security measures, she quickly left the room.
Once he reinstated the security systems, Hood said, "That was surprisingly… considerate of you, Parangosky. I never thought I'd see the day you'd show mercy to a subordinate that screwed up as badly as Osman did."
"What can I say?" Parangosky asked rhetorically. "I'm not completely merciless. Besides, I still plan for Osman to be my successor. This will be a learning experience for her, and I believe that it is one she will need."
"Agreed," Hood said. "Speaking of which, did you see the -"
"Yes, Hood. I read up on the report once I left. I must say, I can see why and the others would be nervous, and I can see why we lost five ODSTs on that mission. We will definitely have to acquire some of these weapons for study. Countermeasures must be made and all."
"Yes," Hood said. "Do you have any plans for how to deal with the Empire, especially their intelligence gathering operations?"
"Yes," Parangosky said. "However, I will keep that a secret until it is time to share them."
"I see," Hood said. "I also wanted to discuss with you why certain members of the UNSC were being withheld from promotions they deserved, Captain Parisa being among them."
"Parisa?" Parangosky asked rhetorically. "She was initially denied promotions due to the fact that doing so would allow her to access information on the Spartan-II Program, considering that she and Sierra-117 had a past relationship with each other. Why?"
"Cole saw fit to promote her to Lieutenant Colonel. Given her service record, which is highly distinguished, I'd say that she deserves the promotion. As for the Spartan-II Program, large parts of it have been made public. Should we be denying a person a promotion because of what they might learn?"
"I suppose not," Parangosky said. "I'll see it to that anyone denied a rank is promoted without breaking OPSEC.
"Good. Now, there's one more matter to discuss."
"And that would be?" Parangosky asked.
"That you allow Dr. Halsey to have her journal back. During their stay at Pantora, Hasley's laptop was hacked into by Dr. Glassman, during which Specialist Jordan MacCallum confronted him, leading to both of being in the brig for a day due to their actions. Had she had her journal back..."
"I understand," Parangosky said. "I'll make certain that her journal is returned to her, no matter Section 3's protests. I will also talk with you on potential candidates to send with Fleet Admiral Harper as the head of intelligence in the Andromeda Galaxy. I believe that the best candidates would either be Aaron Gibson or Ned Rich. Given his record, I would recommend Ned Rich."
"All right. There's also the matter with Ackerson and his attempted assassination of the Master Chief."
"Yes," Parangosky said. "A most regrettable event that happened without my knowledge. I'll see to it that Ackerson is posthumously disciplined for his mistakes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to leave. Take care now."
"You too, Parangosky."
. . .
Thousands of light years away, in another part of the galaxy, the Arbiter was pacing back and forth inside his personal office at Vadam Keep. Eyes calmly moving around the area, he patiently waited for the next Slipspace COM call to come in from the Human homeworld. It has been over a month since the Infinity went missing, he thought to himself. I sincerely hope that the Sangheilil that I sent onboard Lasky's ship are all right. It would be a sad day if I learn that they were harmed.
To take his mind off of his worries, he looked at a recent addition to his office. At the sides of the entrance to the room were a pair of tall, green vases that held bright purple colored flowers. Walking close to one, Thel took a slight sniff, smiling as his mind registered the pleasant aroma. The flowers were a recent addition that his mate had added to the room. It was a decision that, in her words 'give a little bit of life to this dead, stone room.'
There was another addition that was on the desk in his office. Picking it up, he found himself looking at himself, as well as a female Sangheili, during a moment where they shared a kiss with each other. The photograph had been taken by a Human photographer that was at Sangheilios in order to document their culture, as well as to take photos for a gallery back at the Human homeworld. The photographer, one Edward Winston, had allowed him to keep this photograph as a keeepsake. Smiling, Thel traced a few fingers over the photo. I love you, Thelana, he said to himself. Your body is beautifully sculpted, but it is your mind and personality that I love most. Sangheili like you are the reason why I continue to fight, so that one day, I can spend the rest of my life with you in peace.
His thoughts would've continued on, were it not for a beeping that came from the holoprojector on his desk. Sitting down behind it, he set the photograph frame down and pressed a holographic icon that was projected into the air. Moments later, he watched as a familiar face appeared in a projection in the air. "President Ruth Charet," he said. "Greetings. Is there something that you wish to discuss?"
"Yes," President Charet said. "Do you remember when Hood and I initially contacted you about the disappearance of the Infinity, as well as its subsequent rediscovery and the events thereof?"
Thel nodded. "Yes, I remember the day quite well. We live in strange times, especially when you learn that the galaxy near your own is filled with life, including Humans."
"Good," Ruth Charet said. "Then you'll also remember that I requested that you send a few ships to aid us in our future war against the Galactic Empire that Hood informed you of. Correct?"
Thel nodded. It had been quite the learning experience for him when he had learned about the Galactic Empire and its denizens. However, the more he learned about the Empire, the more he realized that he didn't need to. They are far too much like the Covenant, he thought. Always taking more territory and subjects, even when they resist. I still feel sadness and regret for the part I played in all that. "I do," he said. "However, as I said before, I cannot lend you all of my support. We are still dealing with the Storm Covenant and the splinter factions working with the Servants of The Abiding Truth. However, I have decided to send support in the form of a few ships. They will be under the command of our newest Fleetmistress."
"Fleetmistress?" President Charet asked, then she remembered what she'd learned about Sangheili society. "Ah, I see," she said. "Who do you intend to send?"
"One Tul 'Juran. She is one of our finest warriors. She has recently proven herself in numerous naval battles, and has shown that she has the ability to lead and command others. I believe that she will be exactly what is needed for you."
"Thank you, Arbiter," Charet said. "It's a relief to know that you'll be sending ships along to aid us in our mission. When can we expect these ships to arrive?"
"One weekly cycle from now. In your time measurements, that would be around seven of your days from now."
"All right," Charet said. "I'll inform Admiral Hood as to what is going on. Either way, your assistance is deeply appreciate. I hope your governance continues to become stronger."
"And you as well," Thel said. "May your mind ever remain sharp and your compassion strong."
. . .
One Week Later
Today is the day, Harper thought as he looked at the time. Today is the day that we finally launch off to this brave new galaxy that Lasky, Cole and the Infinity are located at. It's been a rough road, but I'm glad that we got to this point.
This prompted him to look at the rest of the bridge of the ship that he was on. The bridge was an enormous affair, with enough room to allow thirty officers to work at numerous stations. Harper was located in the center on a raised command platform, while the rest of the crew were on workstations that were below him. Outside, he could see the seven hundred and four UNSC ships that were assigned to the military fleet that was being gathered at Epsilon Indi.
That single fact, however, was a sobering one for Harper. Most of those ships were upgraded to modern day spec by the mothball facilities and shipyards, he recalled. From what he could recall, roughly 75% of all of the ships that were in the mothball shipyards had been pulled out of those shipyards after being upgraded over the course of five years, and then assigned to the fleet that was currently gathering where they were at. Hell, even the ship I'm onboard, the UNSC Epoch, was just brought out of the mothball yards after being upgraded over the course of those five years. I'm surprised we still had a few Epoch-class Heavy Carriers around still.
Then there was the matter of the other ships in the fleet, as a glance out of the viewports reminded him. Due to the fact that Sangheili were onboard the Infinity when it misjumped into the Andromeda Galaxy, Hood had deemed it necessary to keep the Arbiter in the loop. While the Arbiter wasn't able to send most of his military forces, due to the ongoing war with the Storm Covenant, he was able to send a few ships under the command of one Tul 'Juran, a female Sangheili that had recently attained the tittle of Fleetmistress. Her fleet was small by Covenant standards, around 82 ships, but Harper knew that they would need as much help as they could get.
Then there was the civilian fleet. While more numerous than the military fleet, the civilian fleet was still of vital importance to the military fleet. That fleet, under the command of Admiral Kovalic, was, in actuality, the logistical support for the military fleet, as well as the construction fleet. They would lag behind the main military fleet by around three days, as they would be setting up and installing the modified Slipspace COM buoys that would allow for FTL communications between the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way Galaxy. With that in mind, he looked at the tactical readout, which showed the number of ships in the fleet, as well as its composition.
His thoughts were interrupted when the COM crackled. "Sir, incoming COM from Fleetmistress 'Juran," his COM Officer said.
"Put it through," Harper said. When the COM line was established, he asked, "Status?"
"All of my ships are ready for the journey," 'Juran said. "We are ready to jump at your command, Fleet Admiral Harper."
"Understood," Harper said. Keying another COM frequency, he asked, "Vice Admiral Kovalic, status report?"
"Ready and waiting, sir," Kovalic said.
"Understood," Harper said. "All ships, prepare for the transition into Slipspace." Closing the COM, he said, "Socrates, are you there?"
The holographic image of a man wearing robes from Ancient Grecian times appeared over the holographic pedestal. "Yes, sir," he said in his Greek accented voice. "What are your orders?"
"Initiate a countdown across the entire fleet. We are going to jump in one minute."
"Yes, sir," Socrates said. "Countdown initiated. Sixty seconds and counting." Soon, the countdown reached thirty seconds, then ten. At exactly zero seconds, the ships quickly moved forwards, wtih numerous Slipspace portals opening, with all of the ships sliding inside. Onboard the Epoch, Harper felt the ship vibrate slightly before it fully entered the non-dimension that allowed ships to bend space, ignore time, and thumb their metallic noses at Einstein. "Transition complete," Socrates said. "We are now heading for the coordinates to the Andromeda Galaxy."
"Excellent," Harper said. "Inform the others to begin entering cryonic stasis. It's going to be a long journey to the Andromeda Galaxy. I just hope that all goes well."
A/N: For those of you that are curious about the lfeet composition, this is the composition and numbers in question. We will also be listing the COs of each military branch for that fleet, some of which will be OCs.
Joint UNSC/Swords of Sangheilios Fleet Commanding Officers:
Fleet Admiral Joseph Harper (UNSC Navy)
Fleetmistress Tul 'Juran (Swords of Sangheilos Navy)
Admiral Kovalic Hashteem (UNSC Navy)
General Crystal Speakman (UNSC Army)
Vice Admiral Ned Rich (Office of Naval Intelligence)
RDML Lucius Jiron (Office of Naval Intelligence)
General Van Zandt (UNSC Marines)
General Jared Michaels (UNSC Air Force)
Lieutenant General Alexandria O'Connor (UNSC Air Force)
Lieutenant William Reeds (UNSC Air Force)
Major General Mitchel Strauss (UNSC Air Force)
Major General Oliver Harding (UNSC Air Force)
CAA Marshal Alan Knox (CAA Marshals)
Deputy Secretary of Intergalactic Affairs Jessica Mead (UNSC Diplomatic Corps)
UNSC/Swords of Sangheilios Military Fleet Strength: 747 Warships
Military Fleet Composition:
1x Epoch-class Heavy Carriers
15x Autumn-class Heavy Cruisers
20x Halcyon-class Light Cruisers
35x Marathon-class Heavy Cruiser
4x Orion-class Assault Carrier
40x Hillsborough-class Destroyers
26x Halberd-class Destroyers
50x Paris-class Heavy Frigates
UNSC Cascadia (Captain French)
10x Valiant-class Super-Heavy Cruisers
40x Strident-class Heavy Frigates
40x Charon-class Light Frigates
15x Mulsanne-class Light Frigates
50x Gladius-class Heavy Corvettes
40x Stalwart-class Light Frigates
50x Scholte-class Missile Corvettes
20x Vindication-class Battleships
30x Poseidon-class Carriers
70x Minotaur-class Patrol Ships
1x Point Blank-class Prowlers
8x Razor- class Prowlers
5x Winter-class Prowlers
8x Sahara-class Prowlers
5x Arctic-class Prowlers
UNSC Point of No Return
UNSC Port Stanley (RDML Serin Osman)
15x Chiroptera-class Subprowlers
UNSC Hopeful Medical Ship (Vice Admiral Ysionris Jeromi)
15x Huygens-class Survey Ships
15x Black Cat-class Subprowlers
20x Ceudar-pattern Heavy Corvettes
10x Varric-pattern Heavy Cruisers
15x Ket-pattern Battlecruisers
25x Zanar-pattern Light Cruisers
5x Kerel-pattern Assault Carriers
15x Sinaris-pattern Heavy Destroyers
30x Mutan Et-pattern Storm Cutters
6x Rwaru-pattern Carracks
7x Kewu-pattern Battleship
Civilian Fleet Strength: 937 Starships
Civilian Fleet Composition:
5x Construction Platform
5x Refit Stations
50x Bactrian-class Freighter
50x DCS Light Freighters
10x Vancouver-class Couriers
70x Ammunition Ships
60x UNSC Schooners
40x Ibis-class Freighters
50x Jennet-class Intrasystem Haulers
20x Euphrates-class Colony Ships
15x Phoenix-class Colony Ships
20x Cutter-class Support Ships
40x Bustler-class Freighters
5x Huygens-class Survey Ships
40 Mulzac-class Transports
60x Brahman-class Light Haulers
30x Markhors Heavy Lifters
80x Behemoth-class Tugs
15x Aestuum-class Mining Ships
25x Springhill-class Mining Ship
40x Banta-class Colony Ships
25x Parabola-class Freighters
UNSC Nereid Mixed Cargo Hauler (Commaner Yance)
20x Kletka-class Prison Ships
20x Minotaur-class Patrol Ships
UNSC Pony Express (Captain Michael Reeds)
60x Sangheili War Freighters
15x Drekkar Stealth Ships
5x Forgeships
30x Mjurgen-pattern Agricultural Ships
50x Akton-class Escort Ships