As stated I plan to see this story through at least the rough sketches of the last planned arc and offer some kind of ending. This chapter got stripped down to its main arc.

The operation was growing constantly bigger and more complex. Major Colton Martel had just a battalion of UNSC personnel at his disposal not including the Spartan fire team that now sat in his base. And said battalion was already deployed across the stars working various intelligence and para military operations already. Drawing any of them out had implications for other projects. This may have been the most important mission in his whole career but if he moved, say a small team of operatives he had embedded behind CIS lines a blind spot would form that could cause problems later. Problems that would kill any chance of a promotion. He needed more operatives and he needed them fastest.

"Mereel the man of the hour," Colton said with a huge smile as he sat down in the man's quarters.

The Null ARC wore a smile on his face but his eyes betrayed his emotion albeit it for a brief second he corrected almost immediately. Yet Colton read it in the split second it was there. They reflected frustration he hated being stuck here hidden away powerless to do anything.

"Major," He replied, "Any good news."

"No," Colton replied, "Just stopped by to talk a bit." He began already formulating a way to slide the conversation to I want you to work for me, "You know you've got quite the record. You're like a one man black ops team. Heard you were on the verge of finding Grievous' location."

"So you've been reading up on me. Well I'm glad you like what you've read."

"Ya know the type of work you do isn't at all that different from what I do. Getting thrown behind enemy lines. Establishing intelligence networks. Training proxies and putting people in unmarked graves. It's all good fun isn't it?" Martel said with a chuckle.

"Keeps a guy occupied that's for sure." Mereel replied.

He seemed to also sigh as he said it. That told Colton everything he needed to know. Mereel was probably going mad staying here. A choice Colton made because originally he thought it would be to risky to send him out. But maybe with a little assistance he'd be more then capable of handling the risk.

"Bet you'd love nothing more than to get back out there."

"You want me to do something," Mereel said immediately, "I'm in whatever it is, consider it done."

"Great, so here's the deal before you showed up. I was already coordinating a bunch of other clandestine operations. Those are still important operations."

"I get it your short on personal you don't have to keep explaining just tell me what I'vd got to do and who it needs to be done to."

"And because I'm short on personnel, I need to recruit new personnel that are on file as ONI operatives. It makes it way smoother to say Agent so and so needs a nuke or whatever then I need to give someone outside the agency a nuke."

"You want me to join ONI?" Mereel began as he raised an eyebrow.

"I want you to be Commissioned in the UNSC under a military intelligence M.O.S so it'll be way easier to get you resources and jurisdiction. Now given your rank and because I can argue Kamino counts as a military academy you'll be an officer in whatever branch you go. Name whatever service you want and you'll be one pay grade below me o by the way you'll get paid."

"I'd be your second in command."

"You'd be a pay grade below me. I have numerous officers at that rank. Basically it'd allow you to lead your own team."

"Gotcha," Mereel said, "I think I should think about it first. You're essentially asking I change my allegiance from the Republic to the UNSC and while I've no love for the Republic especially right now that doesn't mean I'm just going to pledge allegiance to your nation so easily."

"Most people don't actually join the UNSC for patriotic reasons, hell I didn't originally join because I had some patriotic fervor. No, it's the benefits for many. Once you serve your first commission you'll receive retirement pay, the government will pay for college in any university in Terran space, and our insurance plan and let me tell you our dental plan for both active and retirees is phenomenal."

"Why'd you join," Mereel asked, "You said for many implying that wasn't your main motivation."

Colton nodded the decision had been too natural for him. He finished high school then joined a ROTC college program for the army. He smiled having come up with his response.

"My step father served in the human covenant war. Biological father was what you'd call an ass hole. I didn't want to be like him. Now my step father, he was a man of strong principle and wisdom. That was one reason I decided to join. I also needed to find a way to pay for college. See good old step dad got killed during the battle of reach. The economy post war was well how'd you expect. Let's just say everything was a thousand times more expensive then before. My mother was already struggling to feed my younger siblings. So me and my sister joined the UNSC needing good jobs to alleviate the burden. Sis went Marines and I went Army and found I was good at my job. I don't think I'd cut in the civilian world there's no career that's quite as satisfying as what I get up to in ONI. So I suppose you could say I had multiple reasons. My old man, the benefits, sense of purpose, and socio economics."

Mereel nodded satisfied with that answer. A completely honest and real answer. Colton could feel the man wasn't yet won over.

"Look how about you talk it over with Skirata while I bring up an operation I need handled with him. Sure he'll give you great advice on the matter."

"Yeah," Mereel said, "Let's do that."

Though if Colton were being honest he wasn't sure if Kal would be fond of the idea. But he knew him a bit better and was willing to gamble if he could convince him. The man was a mercenary, it was all about incentive and the UNSC certainly offered more career opportunities and benefits for dedicated soldiers then the GAR. Clones currently only served because they were told they had to not necessarily because they wanted to or had any real interest to. Colton often speculated what would happen when the clone army realized their own government did not have their best interest in mind. He couldn't help but remember what happened to the Roman republic when the legions became disillusioned with the senate realizing their retirement benefits relied upon their Generals political careers and the Senators didn't give a shit about the people bleeding in their name. They served their Generals first and their Generals fates became tied to the legions. When that happened the path to military rule became almost inevitable. Many scholars talked about how Augustus Caesar built the Roman Empire. Colton whole hardly disagreed it was the fighting man that built the empire and stripped the Republic of its power when the Republic ignored their needs. If the senate simply catered to their needs and developed a solid retirement the legionnaires wouldn't have had to support Generals in intimidating or out right overthrowing the Roman government to get them.

Kal Skirata arrived at the embassy not long after. He was quickly escorted over to Colton Martel's office where he met Mereel. Not one to show emotion when working he refrained from embracing the boy there and checking on his condition. Instead he sat down and gazed at Colton Martel from behind his helmet.

"I see you're treating my boy well. That's a good start. Now I have to ask why you've brought me to the consulate," Skirata said, jumping right to business, "You never bring me here."

"Yeah well circumstances are getting more, how should we say complex. And I'm considering you a Mandalorian political representative of an anti Deathwatch faction."

"Anti death watch….." Kal raised an eyebrow under his helmet, "You're plotting to overthrow Viszla. Why?"

"Kal I'd thought you'd jump right on board with kicking out the Death Watch. Don't you view them as a perversion of Mandalorian culture."

"I do," Kal said, "Doesn't mean I don't want to know why you care all of a sudden. And what you're getting out of this."

"Well see it's simple really," Colton said, "Darth Maul's the real reason Pre Vizsla took over Mandalore. According to a Jedi who was just there, Maul engineered a situation to justify Death Watch's ascent to power. Darth Maul is a Sith who was involved in a plot on Naboo that got Palpatine into office. There's gotta be some connection there and so we need to capture him."

"Hold on," Kal began, "Let me get this straight," he paused collecting his words, "You want to go after a Sith warrior who could kill you with out so much as touching you and who's got an army of psychotic mandalorian commandos at his disposal and you want to take the guy alive?"

"Yes."

"Colton are you suicidal or do you actually have a plan?"

"Little bit of both," Colton replied.

Kal laughed. Terrans were fun only they would come up with an idea so utterly crazy. And yet somehow make it work. Now Kal had never been personally involved in one of ONI's intrigues. But he'd heard about them.

"Ok tell me the bits of a plan you actually have."

"Well I have Jedi who can handle the Sith. In theory that just leaves the Mandalorians. Now the actual population is being kept in the dark about Maul's shadow games yet it wouldn't be very hard to poke holes in their legitimacy. I just need to leak a little information and then drop a proxy force in their to seize power."

"Well I can tell you this. Mandos are already starting to ask questions. Pre Vizla was allegedly killed by Duchess Satine no one's buying the pacifist killed the fundamentalist warrior and former prime minister Almec who was jailed for corruption is currently the leader of death watch. They're working real hard to keep foreigners out so you won't see it on the news. However I got my ways. And I can tell you there's already infighting with in death watch itself."

Colton smiled, the gears in his mind shifting around as he contemplated any number of ways to topple a clearly corrupt military junta. He kept himself from chuckling that'd be too unprofessional.

"As for your reliable proxy," Skirata began, "I know a guy."

"I half expected you to say you'd do it."

"You think I want to deal with running a whole civilization. I like being a mercenary who's not overly concerned with politics."

"Alright who's your guy?"

"The planet mandalore may have adopted pacifism and switched to death watches fundamentalism. But the rest of the worlds in the sector couldn't give a bantha's hide and stuck to their traditions. Concord Dawn has a lot of political autonomy. And it's there a mandalorian mercenary named Fenn Shysa has taken refuge. He runs with a group of mercenaries calling themselves the protectors, basically Neo super commandos. They did work for the CIS before a job went sideways, Republic wants'em dead or alive. The government of concord dawn however has offered them shelter. He's your guy." Skirata replied, "If I was a betting man Maul is going to have to wage war on the rest of the Mandalorian sector as you've got a strong anti death watch sentiment everywhere else. So it might not take too much effort to form a little coalition to go down and retake Mandalore from those savages."

"Right," Colton said, "But if I go, are they going to listen to some foreigner?"

"No," Skirata said outright.

"But suppose there was a Mandalorian in ONI and we sent him down."

"You got a Mandalorian in ONI? Not just a contractor but an actual Agent who joined from Mandalore?"

"Well I came up with an idea and told Mereel about it."

Skirata frowned a little as he turned to Mereel. The man nodded, seemingly putting the whole scheme together now.

"Right, Colton suggested I commission as an officer in the UNSC under a military intelligence M.O.S which would land me in ONI," Mereel said, "That would mean we would have a mandalorian ONI operative on the ground. I know I can work with Shysa and convince other Mandalorians to join up and as an officer I'd have the authority to say call in an ODST strike team or request air support where needed."

Skirata made no sign of approval or dismissal, he nodded. Most likely he saw the strategic and tactical advantage of having an individual who was both a Mandalorian and ONI officer on this specific operation. But he also probably thought about what consequences might happen to Mereel personally if he joined the UNSC.

"Son, you know you'd be a UNSC soldier by definition. Meaning you'll be expected to pledge allegiance to a new nation."

"Until the commission expires. Also the pay's quite good."

"So you already decided to do this."

"I told Colton I'd think about it."

"Well it sounds like you've thought about." Kal snarled frustrated, "Think, what if the UNSC turns on Mandalore while you're still working for them. It may not look like it now. But these guys they're not like the kriffing Republic or the CIS. They're open about the fact they're out for first and for most they're security. They will take any opportunity to expand their power and diminish any potential threats."

"More the reason this operation needs to work. Death watch stays in, they'll try and rekindle the old crusader days. That will result in the exact same thing that the old crusaders got our people into. If a true Mandalorian faction seizes control then the UNSC agenda and Mandalore's agenda will always be aligned. They wish to establish Galactic security and expand their sphere our people will live as honorable mercenaries who seek to fight for an honorable employer."

Kal said nothing, "I hate that what you're saying makes sense. I want to tell you not to do this because it's a huge risk and you've already taken on a huge risk. But I trained you too well."

"Kalbuir check out these benefits and maybe that'll change your mind."

Mereel passed Kal his tablet. The man scrolled through and read the terms Mereel was offered in detail. He said nothing but nodded his head every now and then. He placed the tablet down.

"I won't lie, they compensate their soldiers better than any non-Mandalorian military force I have seen. GAR clone troopers don't even get paid as of now. You guys have a retirement plan and built in vacation time."

"And there's also TDY, trust me those can be a time."

"And they do dental," Mereel pointed out.

"Yes ok it looks good. But I don't want you going into this alone. Go get one of your brothers and I'd feel a lot better about this."

"I'm sure Ordo is dying to get involved in Mandalorian affairs."

"Yes go find and get Ordo involved. Meanwhile let me make some calls and get you boys a base on concord dawn as well as some of the other cuy val dar on board so you're not completely starting from scratch."

"Sounds like a plan, I'll get a ship for the operation and whatever you want…Captain Mereel."

"What's you say in the UNSC marine corp?"

"Marines?"

"You said I could choose any branch."

"What's wrong with the army," Colton said, almost offended, "Besides the point they're battle cries Oorah and they're mottos seimper fiedelis. Also there's no way I could possibly make you a marine with out sending you through infantry school it's a cultural thing. The guy incharge of the asymmetrical action group the specific ONI department I'm under and that you would be under is marine major general who would never in a million years tolerate a marine officer under his command who hasn't passed both the infantry and recon courses with flying marks. Guy couldn't give a shit about operators from the other services so long as you're competent. But if you pick the marines and…."

"I'll complete it after I liberate my own planet. Look, I'm a highly experienced black ops operator."

"And I can guarantee he was trained extremely well in reconnaissance and infantry tactics." Skirata added.

"Then it should be really easy after we're all done overthrowing Darth Maul. Just get those papers filled out and meet me back here tomorrow morning, O six hundred."

Marcell met up with Colton back at the Consulate. Today they'd have a meeting with ONI Director Winters himself as well as the man in charge of section three, Grey and Major General Trajan who commanded the entire Asymmetric Action Group.

"Before the meeting begins." Marcell began, "Tell me how things look."

"I'm organizing numerous missions as we speak to get hard evidence that I hope will get the Jedi to take action."

"Such as?" Marcell said annunciating his words to make it clear he wanted the specifics.

"Lieutenant Dao will be leading an infiltration unit to Kamino and Cato Nemodia tracking down leads. I just found out Darth Maul's made himself the power behind the throne on mandalore. I'm organizing a coup with the purpose of capturing him as well as leaving a friendly government in place."

"Sounds rushed," Marcell said, "It'll be a mess."

The man was brutally honest always. He didn't even need to know what exactly Colton was planning. He already saw possible splinters forming.

The meeting began. All the windows were shut in Colton's office and the lights cut. The spitting image of Director Winter appeared in front of them. The vice director Ingrid Helms sat next to him. Octavian Grey stood off to the side. And Major General Cassius Trajan stood proudly adorned in his uniform and beret. There was a fourth person present that neither Marcell or Colton recognized. He was short, wore a suit and tie and had a smile. Unlike everyone else he lacked the cold gaze of a killer. Marcell would have asked who that was but instead refrained opting to let Colton talk unless they asked a question aimed at the head Hunter.

"Good afternoon Major Martel," Began Director Winter, "Let us begin. Now you'll notice there's another man here you haven't recognized. That's just Joe, he's from legal here to tell us when something breaks a law then we'll do with that information what we will."

"Nice to meet you Joe." Colton said and the man nodded.

"Alright let's begin. Have you convinced the Jedi to depose the chancellor yet?"

"Close," Colton said, "They need more evidence that the chancellor engineered the whole conflict. And they're not going to move against him with out hard concrete evidence in their hands first."

"Smart," Ingrid coldly remarked, "I wouldn't make such a move without damning evidence either."

Marcell had to agree there. It would look really bad to depose a sitting ruler and declare a martial law with out concrete proof that said leader was in fact a criminal. And that his corruption was deeply rooted in the system.

"Regardless, I'm in the process of collecting that evidence," Colton said simply, "We're tracing down multiple leads working alongside the Jedi. You don't need to be overly concerned with most of the investigation except for an operation in Mandalore. We have to overthrow the current Mandalorian regime which is being controlled by Darth Maul, a high value target who we theorize has connections to the wider plot making it necessary to capture him."

"Hold on," Winter said, "You made that sound simple. Joe put that in legalese."

"Major Colton Martel just proposed to organize a military or possibly para military operation designed to put forces under our command on a sovereign nation with out their permission in order to overthrow that government. This constitutes an invasion and according to Galactic law which the U.E.G agreed to abide when our current President opened up the economy to the wider Galaxy, is completely illegal unless the Mandalorians attack us first."

"So in other words," Trajan spoke up, "There's no way this operation is going to get sanctioned by the President."

"Certainly not in a reasonable amount of time." Winter added.

Marcell had only very recently become familiar with these concepts. The criminal work he used to do never involved asking if this is legal or getting approval from a legitimate authority. However Black operations had to ask that question. If it wasn't sanctioned by the legitimate political authority that meant it had to be off the books if people wanted to keep their jobs. And what got sanctioned and what didn't depended on how ballsy the current elected official was. The U.E.G had presidents that would sanction this type of operation in a heartbeat. But the current President wanted to restore the U.E.G's credibility and image. He wanted to move away from the old days when they'd turn whole colonies into police states. Odds were he'd hear the word illegal invasion of a Sovereign state. And immediately say no. Meaning if they were going to do this then everything would need to be kept off the books. Funding, supplies, and movements.

"Suppose I can get the approval of native mandalorians." Colton proposed.

"Unless you can get some political representative of the legitimate Mandalorian government to provide consent it constitutes an invasion. Insurgents legally speaking are criminals. Citizens aren't recognized as political representatives of a sovereign state." Joey said emotionlessly.

"So in order to legally overthrow a corrupt despotic regime I need permission of a corrupt despotic regime?" Colton said doing his best to prevent his anger from entering his tone.

"Yes, keep that in mind with the bigger operation too."

"And the current President probably won't sanction an operation that's this illegal. Alright, let's say I can't sanction the operation."

"If it's unsanctioned you can't use money drawn from ONI finances. Your weapons can not come from a UNSC stockpile. ONI personnel can not be on an ONI travel log when going in and out of Mandalore meaning you cannot use UNSC transportation. Do you get the picture Major?" Ingrid asked, "You will be virtually isolated from the UNSC and if it fails we will say it was the action of a private citizen working as a mercenary."

"Yeah," Colton said, "I get the picture. I wanted to recruit two clones into ONI as intelligence officers under the A.A.G figured it would make the op smoother but if there can't be any connections I suppose…."

"Send them in. We don't want a traceable connection but we do not want rogue elements either. Get them to my headquarters. I'll finalize paper work and evaluation to ensure they are O.N.I operatives who we can hold accountable. And besides the ops only blacker than black until you get someone in charge of the legitimate government that'll give us consent so they'll prove useful as connections to the new government."

Colton nodded. He still seemed utterly frustrated.

"Before this goes further," Joe said, "Right now there's still enough room for us to say we had no knowledge of the Major's action. If at any point in the rest of this meeting he is ordered to overthrow the mandalorian government then you have ordered an ONI operative to break interstellar law. If he says he is going through with the operation and details exactly how he will provide his own resources through more illegal activity then you could be considered an accomplice to his crime. You haven't given verbal permission and he hasn't verbally stated that he will with out a shadow of a doubt go through with the operation. So it is my advice the conversation end here."

"Fuck the lawyers right. Colton, call me back when you have more intel." Winter said leaving. Ingrid and Octavian followed. Joe then dropped out, saving his own skin.

But Major General Cassius Trajan the Commander over the A.A.G stayed. He looked at his soldier firmly and smiled.

"I ain't like the others. We're soldiers who can do spy work not spies who can do soldier work. We go down together. So Major please tell me what you intend to do and I'll support you in any way I can. I don't give a damn if they put me in a cell. My job is to protect and uphold the U.E.G and all worlds under its rule and that's what I'll do. I ain't no bureaucrat."

"Thank you General," Said Colton, "Obviously I'm going through with the mission. If I can't use ONI assets I'll need to launder money and buy resources from the black market. That'll take time. Luckily I already got an asset going to the Mandalorian sector to get more intelligence in activities there. But my plan does involve the clones who you'll meet soon being one of us as well as one of them. They're Mandalorians born and raised. So if they're the ones in field control of the operation they can do a balancing act that will make the mandalorian proxy force feel mandalorian and not a U.E.G puppet. And because they're in the culture they'll be the best option in convincing Mandalorians to overthrow Maul. Through the initiation process you'll handle we can be sure they also won't betray us before they're deployed. After they establish the proxy I plan to move a combined force of Jedi and Spartans to get Maul and assist in a capture of the mandalorian capital."

"Sounds good, Major. I look forward to meeting the clones. Do you have a black market contact who can get the equipment."

"I do," Marcell spoke up, "In fact for both your sakes let me handle both the laundered money, talking with a black market dealer, and hiring smugglers. I've worked in this type of setting before and thrived. I can get you what you need and keep the criminals in the dark about what it's going to be used for."

Trajan nodded, "Thank you Agent Marcell. The operations in good hands. Call me with any and all concerns, Major General Cassius Trajan out." Then the man disappeared.

Colton looked over at Marcell as the lights came back on in his office and the window opened. He still seemed frustrated with the meeting. Marcell would be furious position switched. The reason the operation was unsanctioned wasn't because it was a bad idea or a good idea the decision had nothing to do with merit or plausibility or necessity simply to save face. Yet Colton if he were furious seemed to hide it pretty well.

"Why'd you help?" Colton asked, "Thought your job was simply to make sure I didn't do anything stupid or leave loose ends."

"My assignment is as described. My job is to ensure the success of ONI. My career relies on making whatever little operation you come up with work. That's why I intervened."

Colton nodded his head, "Good we've got an understanding then. If you excuse me I gotta prep my team."

"Get me a supply list ASAP. And how much cash do you think you'll need."

"Go with fifty mil."

"Get one hundred mil just to be safe. Have ONI deliver it to you for supplies,training, and intelligence then transfer it to my bank account and I'll make it disappear."

Colton raised an eyebrow curious how one made one hundred million dollars disappear. He knew Marcell was going to run off with the cash because ONI would find and kill him if he did. Marcell wasn't stupid.

"How does one make one hundred million credits disappear?"

"Look I get you're ok with breaking the law to get things done. But trust me its better if you don't know any more then I know a guy."

Colton looked at him for solid second. Then slowly nodded his head. Marcell was giving him an out. You don't want to be associated with mafiosos trust me. Was the gist of what the guy was saying. And Colton was inclined to believe him.

"Alright. I'll contact the director about the funds and make sure I say for supplies, training, and intelligence for sanctioned operations currently in process."