Authors Note: sorry for the delay, but it has been a bad time with my f-ing computer. Anything that could have broke has probably been broken, and I have to use the schools.

Mon Calamari Cruiser Home One-Orbiting Bakura

2300 Hrs Galactic Standard

The main hangar bay was busy. Twelve recon X-wings were being fueled and readied for departure. All twelve, plus another twelve from Couruscant, would scour the known Imperial territory for their fleet. A risky move, but one that could not be met with a counterstrike if there guess was correct.

Palpatine Class USNC Carrier Thrawn- Orbiting Planet Reach

0900 Standard Time

The work had gone smoothly enough. A net of 300 MAC Platforms were orbiting the planet, each with twenty Turbolasers and Ion Cannons. A small bubble of space was also protected, and the frame of a giant sphere was now growing there. With all the help building the monstrosity, it would be done in ten months. Captain Miranda Keyes couldn't help but be bored at the prospect of babysitting. Here she had one of the finest vessels ever built by human hands, and it was to guard this hunk of metal! Well there were ways of getting around this problem. "Commander, get me a radio link to all the MAC platforms in quadrant…" She looked at a chart on her display panel, "42." "Yes ma'am. What Should I tell them?" "Actually, give me a direct link." "Yes ma'am." Two minutes passed, while Commander Ardent got the proper set up. "Here you go ma'am, all the stations in sector 42." "Thank you Commander." She turned her attention to the camera in her command chair. "Gentlemen, may I interest you in some war games?"

UNSC Frigate Condor-30 light years outside Planet Norac

1500 Standard Time

A frontline picket vessel, Commander Aaron Bauner commanded the frigate with the highest kill score in the entire UNSC fleet. His vessel had forty-one silhouettes painted on her bow, and the modified MAC gun strapped to her keel would make anyone run in fear. This was a different mission though. In a few seconds, they would exit slip-space and emerge on the last, and hopefully unfortified, Halo. The Helmsman operated the panel, and there exit bubble opened, and there it was. The seventh Halo. But his second wish was not so accurate. In orbit sat thirty Covenant Carriers, and the City of High Charity. A hushed "holy shit" could be heard, and Aaron looked for the culprit, and found it was everyone.

His position was advantageous. The nearest Covenant ship was a good thirty kilometers away. This gave him time to think. Thirty capital ships sat at the maximum range of visual scanners, and the Holy City was a ripe target. There MAC gun could punch a hole clean through the unshielded city, but could enough damage be done before he was chased off? The nearest ship didn't even look like it had its shields up, and was just waiting for a round to punch through it. He had his decision. "Alright listen up! MAC Control, I want as many rounds to be fired in as short a time possible, and don't worry about precision, your targets pretty huge. Targeting, I want all ARCHER pods ready to be fired on multiple targets, but only after the MAC is done. Ladies and Gentlemen, lets kill us a city." The bridge came alive with activity, and the MAC was loaded and prepped. Even though it was 2/3 the size of a normal MAC, at this range it could do the same job. The ARCHER pods would allow them a defensive screen through with to escape, and re-enter slip-space.

"MAC Control, on my mark. Your target is that Holy City. Three, Two, One, MARK" The rumble of the cannon came through the deck-plates. In a mere minute, thirty rounds spat out before the Customized "fast-shot" cartridge made specifically to this cannon ran out and had to be reloaded. By this time, the entire Covenant fleet was now on them. "Alright, MAC Control, shots of opportunity. Fire Control, arm the ARCHERS and fire at will, targets of opportunity. Helm, give me full reverse thrust, I want to deal as many blows as possible before I have to leave." Three voices greeted him in unison, "Yes Sir!" The deck once again rumbled as the ARCHER's and the MAC, at normal fire rate, fired off. The enemy ships started in at max speed, but it was not enough to get within distance to destroy the frigate. When the first ship reached a distance of 100 kilometers, the enemy started to open up with wild pot-shots that were wide, but enough. "Alright, full turn port, and get into slip-space ASAP. LETS MOVE!" The ship turned, the last ARCHER pod fired, and once again the ship was in the blankness of slip-space.

Covenant Carrier Prophets Blade- Same Location

0623 Covenant Time

The battle was twenty-three minutes long, but the damage made it look like a day's-long campaign. Out of thirty ships, only twelve remained, largely in part to the failur of their pilots to raise their shields in time. Brutes were loyal, but were slow to learn such things as starship command. The prophet of Mercy looked out on this holiest of cities, almost in ruins because of those pitiful humans. Thirty holes now leaked atmosphere, and many thousands of loyal species had died. The prophet sighed. If only the Ark had not been destroyed in the battle for Earth. But this last instilation could still do damage, and the Flood had still not risen. All was well here in this small corner of the universe, even if there was a major amount of work to be done.

Mon Calamari Cruiser Mon Ramona-orbiting Couruscant

1950 hrs. Galactic Standard

The twelve X-wings had launched nearly 21 hours ago. Now was time to get some results. Twenty-four screens sat in the briefing room, all from one fighter's camera. Right now they were all in hyperspace, but that would soon change. A large clock sat to the right side of all the screens, at thirty seconds and counting down. At zero, the camera's came to life, and the elusive question was finaly answered. At all twenty-four locations, a sizable defense fleet was supposed to be visible. No capital ships were even found. The fighters looked for thirty minutes, and not one ship was found. With this new find, only one question remained. Why?.

Imperial Star Destroyer Chimera- Orbiting Planet C98V586

0000 hrs. Standard Time

Twelve Golan-3 Defense platforms had come with the fleet, and all of them orbited this valuable planet. The skeleton of the first Death Star was built, and the power core shone brightly as it awaited its metal shielding. On the planet, valuable metals were being extracted so fast that the planet's atmosphere almost went dark from all the dirt being uplifted and loosly set aside. But it was paying off, and enough supplies to make both of his Death Stars were being made and fabricated at a lightning pace. Only one thing disturbed him. And that was his Renegade Jedi. He had left his ship days ago in his search for Jedi Potentials, and so far had not reported back. But in this, his moment of triumph, nothing could disturb him greatly. And as for the alien scum, they were just stones in his way.